Two Halves of a Whole
by NeverTooLate123
Summary: It all started with an interview for Sorcerer Weekly. A few misunderstandings and a fight later Freed and Laxus find themselves having to make a choice that could change their relationship forever. Freed/Laxus
1. Chapter 1

**Important:** This story takes place after the Grand Magic Games arc and is only canon up to that point.

Chapter 1

Laxus had gone on a job on his own leaving the Thunder God Tribe behind. They had all been disappointed but understood that the type of job really only required Laxus' expertise and would've gotten complicated had they tagged along. Freed realized on the second day Laxus was gone that they needed a distraction. He was making a beeline for the request board when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a seat at a table. Cana sat there smiling at him and slid him a beer.

"Have a drink with me, Freed," she told him.

"No, thank you," he replied as he pushed the drink away. "I need to go find a job for-"

"Why are you just waiting around for Laxus to notice you?" Cana asked suddenly. She had moved closer to him and Freed had to lean away to keep from being suffocated by the smell of alcohol coming off of her. Her smile had turned into a concerned frown. "You could be out there having fun, dating other people." She gestured to the full guild hall as if the sea of wizards were all potential dates instead of rowdy teenagers and old drunks moaning over how they missed the old days.

"You're drunk," Freed accused as he tried to slip away. He would really rather not spend his time having his love life or lack thereof criticized by Cana of all people.

His escape was foiled by Cana putting a surprisingly strong arm around his shoulders. "So what if I am. That doesn't make me wrong."

Freed let out a frustrated sigh. "It's none of your business."

"Freed, I've known you for a long time. I want you to be happy, and it seems like lately I'm always seeing you looking sadly at Laxus when he isn't watching." Freed felt himself blush at Cana's words. He hadn't realized he'd been so obvious. "And even if you do want to just wait around for Laxus to get his head out of his ass long enough to realize you're there, that doesn't mean you can't date around in the meantime."

His hands had clenched into fists on the table as she spoke. He had to admit that her advice held some merit, but he couldn't help that his heart told him that to even look at someone else like that would be similar to betraying Laxus. "You don't understand-" he began, but then stopped himself. This wasn't something he wanted to explain to anyone. "I'll think about it," he conceded without any sincerity. "May I go now?"

"Sure," Cana said releasing him from her hold around his shoulders. She picked up the beer she had offered him and took a swig from it as he walked away.

Freed shook his head wondering what had gotten into Cana. She didn't normally seem all that interested in his dating life. Although she was the first one to realize that he had an interest in men, and the first one notice his feelings toward Laxus, in fact she was probably one of the most perceptive people in the guild.

He stood at the request board for several minutes before he realized he wasn't really reading any of the flyers. A hand on his shoulder caused Freed to jump a little in surprise.

"Sorry," Mira said as he turned to her. "I wanted to let you know that _Sorcerer Weekly_ wanted to send a reporter over tomorrow to interview the Thunder God Tribe."

Freed frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"They said they wanted 'an inside look at what Laxus is like from those closest to him'," Mira quoted, shifting her voice to sound deeper as she spoke.

Freed felt a swell of pride. Even those at _Sorcerer Weekly_ knew that they were the ones closest to Laxus. It was like some exclusive label that only those most worthy could claim. "Alright, I'll let Ever and Bickslow know so we can be ready. What time will the reporter be here?"

Mira put her pointer finger to her chin in thought. "They said some time in the morning. Probably after nine."

He nodded seriously. "Thank you, Mira."

* * *

Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow sat together at a table in a secluded corner of the guild hall. "So what are we supposed to tell the reporter about Laxus?" Bickslow asked.

Evergreen shook her head. "That's a good question. Freed, what do you think Laxus would want us to talk about?"

"It really depends on the questions," Freed said thoughtfully. "We can't answer anything to personal, and certain subjects should be avoided." They all looked at each other knowingly.

Bickslow suddenly grinned, making Evergreen and Freed nervous. "We could just break into Laxus' room. Then we could find some stuff to talk about."

"Are you insane?" Freed asked in shock.

Evergreen had actually stood up and leaned in close to Bickslow. "Do you want us all to die a horribly, torturous and slow death?"

"Okay! Okay!" he said trying to placate her. "I get it."

His totems bounced in the air near his head. "We get it! We get it!" they chanted.

Bickslow sat back crossing his arms over his chest, his bottom lip pushed out in a pout. "I was just joking anyways."

Freed shook his head. "With you it's always hard to tell."

Evergreen sat back down looking more relaxed. "I'm kind of excited about being interviewed for _Sorcerer Weekly_. Do you think they'll want pictures of us? Maybe I should go get my hair done just in case." She ran her fingers through her hair, examining it for split ends.

Bickslow shrugged. "Your hair looks fine."

"If you think it looks good then I definitely need to go get it styled." Evergreen got to her feet and started looking around the guild hall. When she spotted who she was looking for she walked away with purpose. "Lucy! Lucy, I need that crab guy of yours!"

* * *

Freed sat in his room going through old issues of _Sorcerer Weekly_ to see what questions they had asked in previous interviews. He wanted to make sure they were prepared to answer any questions in a way Laxus would approve of. Most of the magazines had been graciously loaned to him by Mirajane, the rest were his own collection. A notepad laid beside the stack of magazines so he could take notes and a cup of coffee in the corner of his desk to keep him alert as he did his work.

When the coffee was long cold, the notepad filled almost completely with notes, and the stack of magazines greatly diminished Freed was starting to think he should go to bed. He decided to flip through one last magazine and be finished.

Freed was surprised to see how old the magazine was. It had been from when he was fourteen. He flipped through it, reminiscing about how much things had changed. A ripped, folded piece of paper fell from between the pages. When he picked it up and looked at it Freed felt a dull ache in his chest. It was a poster of a seventeen year old Laxus. The only time Laxus had been interviewed for _Sorcerer Weekly_ was when he had become S class at seventeen. They had printed a tear out poster along with it.

 _Freed carefully tore out the poster and taped it to the wall above his desk. He and his older brother Zachariah had agreed that the desk was his space to do with what he pleased. The surface of the desk itself was covered with books on rune magic while the wall above held only the single poster of Laxus. It was the image of the seventeen year old wizard in all his brooding glory. A lightning bolt cut across the page in the background._

 _Freed sat at his desk admiring the poster. Laxus was only seventeen and was already an S class wizard in one of the best guilds around. He sighed reflecting on his own lack of accomplishments. One day he would join a guild, maybe Fairy Tail, and he would become a great mage like Laxus._

 _The door to his room opened and Freed turned in his chair to his older sister Risa. "You could knock," he said coldly._

 _Risa rolled her eyes but when she spotted the poster of Laxus they suddenly widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. "What the hell is that?"_

 _Freed got to his feet and turned to her crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. "It's a poster."_

 _"_ _Of Laxus. Look he's my celebrity crush, I don't want you ruining it for me by mooning over him like a weirdo."_

 _He felt his face go red and wanted to kick himself for it. "I- I'm not mooning over him. I just admire his accomplishments. And besides it's my room, if I want to put up a poster of someone I will."_

 _Risa stomped over, shoving her little brother out of the way. She roughly pulled down the poster. "I'll take this."_

 _"_ _Hey! You can't do that!" Freed reached out and grabbed the edge of the poster._

 _"_ _It's weird for you to be so obsessed over another boy. Just let go!" Risa tugged on the poster and it suddenly ripped in half. She frowned at the torn piece of poster in her hand then tossed it at her brother. "Never mind."_

 _As she strolled from the room, flipping her long hair over her shoulder, Freed watched the piece of poster slowly float to the floor in front of him. Tears welled in his eyes and he took a deep gulp of air trying to hold back the sobs building in his throat. Freed knelt to pick up the other half of the poster. He held the two pieces next to each other to form the whole image again. "I'm sorry, Laxus," he breathed out._

 _The door opened again and this time it was Zachariah. "What are you doing?" Zachariah asked as he passed him to search for something in the closet._

 _Freed stood, quickly folded the torn poster, and shoved it back in the magazine. "Nothing," he replied in a rough voice as he scrubbed the tears from his face._

Freed mentally shook himself and pushed the memory to the back of his mind. He set the ripped poster aside and read through the short interview with Laxus. He tried to remember to take notes but the pen laid forgotten on the desk. Small smiles graced his face whenever he read a particularly cheeky response from Laxus.

After the initial read through Freed read it again remembering to take notes the second time. He paid attention to what questions Laxus readily answered and which subjects he steered the interview away from. When he finished Freed looked at the poster again. He pulled out some tape and taped the pieces back together. Seventeen year old Laxus stared back at him. Freed wished he go back to that fourteen year old version of himself and let him know that it would be okay. He wanted to tell him that he would be lucky enough to work with Laxus, become one of his best friends. Freed folded up the poster again and replaced it back in the magazine.

That night Freed laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. He was having trouble sleeping anticipating the interview with _Sorcerer Weekly_. His gaze moved from the ceiling to the stack of magazines on his desk. Even in the dim light he could see the edge of the poster peeking out from the old magazine. A smile pulled at his lips as he thought about how jealous Risa must be that all of these years later he was the one who was close to Laxus.

In the morning Freed got ready quickly. Throughout his morning routine he practiced things he would say about Laxus. "Laxus, is a great wizard, leader, and friend," he said to his reflection in his bathroom mirror, injecting as much sincerity as possible. "We admire his strength and his loyalty." He nodded at himself in approval.

As he got dressed Freed tried to think about different stories to tell about Laxus that would put the older man in a good light. "We could talk about Laxus' many victories in battle or his success when it came to difficult jobs he took on."

When he was about to leave for the guild hall Freed turned the poster of adult Laxus hanging on his hall. "We won't let you down," he said before leaving.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you everyone who read, favorited, followed, and reviewed the first chapter. I was a bit nervous about posting this story for some reason and so I greatly appreciate the good response I got.

Chapter 2

The Thunder God Tribe had met the reporter at the guild hall like Mirajane had directed them. Evergreen nudged Freed hard in the ribs to get his attention. At first he glanced at her with annoyance but then he looked up and saw the reporter approaching. Even Freed, who only had eyes for Laxus, had to admit that the reporter was very attractive. He was tall, with dark hair, olive skin, and chocolate brown eyes. He was conventionally handsome with just enough character in his face to make him interesting.

"Hi, guys, I'm Asher, a reporter from _Sorcerer Weekly_. I assume Mirajane told you all that I wanted to interview you for an article about Laxus Dreyar," Asher told them.

"Yes," Freed replied with a pleasant smile. "We would be happy to answer any questions you have about our Laxus."

"Alright then. How about we find a quiet place where the four of us can talk?" Asher glanced around pointedly at the more curious members of the guild who had gathered. He actually staggered back a step in shock when his eyes found Lucy who was trying to drape herself across a table in a sexy manner to attract his attention.

"Okay, who told Lucy there would be a reporter from _Sorcerer Weekly_ here?" Freed hissed at Evergreen and Bickslow.

Bickslow turned an accusing gaze on Evergreen and Freed followed suit. "Well, I had to tell her why I needed Cancer to style my hair," she informed them defensively as she brushed away a strand of her now silky hair from her face.

Freed turned back to Asher. "We could go to the basement. There should not be too many people down there."

Asher looked relieved at Freed's words and nodded. "Sounds good. Lead the way."

Once they were all settled around a table in the basement Asher pulled out a notebook and pen. "Alright, let's get started. So question number one: What would you say has been the most difficult job Laxus has ever been on?"

Freed jumped in to answer the first question. "There has never been a job too difficult for Laxus. No matter what job he endeavors to complete he always finds a way."

Asher nodded and wrote down Freed's response. "What would you say is Laxus' most admirable trait?"

The interview went on and Freed started to relax. He had anticipated there being harder questions or questions that seemed prying or inappropriate. So far they seemed harmless. The three of them gave an abridged version of how they met Laxus and became a team. He found it rather enjoyable to be chatting about his favorite subject.

"Is it true that during the Grand Magic Games that Laxus fought the entire Raven Tail team including his own father?"

They all sat up a bit straighter now on guard at the question. "Yeah," Bickslow replied slowly.

Asher jotted down the response. "And how did he feel about the battle?"

Evergreen cleared her throat and gave Freed and Bickslow meaningful looks. Freed's mind had gone blank. Laxus would not want them talking about that battle or what effect it had had on him. Yet he couldn't think of a tactful way to steer the interview away from it.

"I bet you're wondering how I got my hair so silky!" Evergreen suddenly stated loudly. "You see, one of Lucy's celestial spirits styled it. You can touch it if you want."

Bickslow jumped up and his dolls lined up in the air. "My babies have been practicing a synchronized routine. Would you like to see it?"

Asher shook his head with an amused smile. "No, that's okay."

Freed let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "So, what is the next question?"

"Well, I guess I'll skip most of these about the Grand Magic Games. Never let it be said of me that I don't know how to take a hint." The Thunder God Tribe let out a simultaneous sighs of relief as Asher flipped through his notebook looking for the next questions. "Here we go. Is Laxus currently seeing anybody? There have been some rumors about him and a certain red-headed, S-class wizard who wears armor."

Freed felt like his insides had suddenly been submerged in cold water. His mouth went dry and he had to take a sip of Evergreen's drink so that he could speak. "Are there really rumors about him and Erza?"

Asher's eyebrows raised in interest. "Yes. Is there any truth to these rumors?"

"Of course not!" Evergreen replied. "Erza and Laxus would never work out. Besides Laxus is much too focused on work to be sidetracked by a relationship."

Bickslow nodded in agreement. "He doesn't like the drama."

Bickslow's dolls bounced in the air as the agreed. "Too much drama!" they chanted. "Too much drama!"

For the rest of the interview mostly Evergreen and Bickslow answered questions. Freed was seriously starting to consider Cana's advice. He shouldn't have gotten so worked up over rumors that he knew were untrue. Maybe going out on dates with new people might help him not obsess over Laxus so much.

They all went back upstairs as Asher asked. "I would like to schedule a photoshoot for tomorrow. Would that work for all of you?"

Evergreen lit up with excitement, but then tried to tamp it down. "Tomorrow should work for us. Right, guys?"

Bickslow shrugged. "I'm not doing anything."

"That would be fine," Freed agreed.

After scheduling the photoshoot Asher started to leave but stopped and turned back to Freed. "I would like to have more material for my article. Since you're the leader of the Thunder God Tribe you know Laxus the best, right?"

Freed swelled with pride at those words. "Yes, that would be a correct assumption."

"Great. Then I would love to do a one-on-one interview. How about we do dinner tonight and we can talk then?"

A blush crept up Freed's neck. Was this a date? Guilt flushed through him at the thought of going on a date with someone other than Laxus. "I don't know if I would feel comfortable talking about Laxus on a date-"

"Oh! No, I'm sorry," Asher jumped in. "I wasn't asking you out on a date. I just figured that we both have to eat dinner and I have appointments the rest of the day."

The blush darkened with embarrassment. "Oh, God… I'm sorry that I assumed…"

The reporter gave Freed a calm smile. "I should have made myself clearer. We can meet at the restaurant at six, if that works for you?"

"Yes, six would be fine."

* * *

Laxus had returned from the job early. He had been a bit disappointed to find that it was not nearly as dangerous as they had made it sound in the flyer. He wished that he had brought the Thunder God Tribe along so that it wouldn't have been so boring.

He considered going straight home but changed his mind and decided to stop by the guild hall first and let Mira and Gramps know he had returned, job successfully completed. Laxus approached the bar to inform Mira about the job but paused when he saw Freed across the guild hall. His friend was talking with an unknown man, laughing together. Freed was blushing and looking away shyly. Laxus was startled to find that his fists clenched reflexively. He consciously relaxed them and went to the bar.

"Oh, you're back already," Mira observed.

"Yeah, it was an easy one. Who is that guy Freed is talking to?"

"That's a reporter from _Sorcerer Weekly_. He was interviewing the Thunder God Tribe about you," she said with her usual bright smile.

Laxus frowned in confusion. "Then why is he only talking to Freed?"

"I think they already finished the interview. I overheard them talking about going to dinner together later."

"That sounds like…" He didn't want to finish the thought but he didn't have to as Mira finished it for him.

"A date? Yeah, I think it would be good for him loosen up a bit, go out and have fun."

Laxus watched as the reporter left. Freed still had a smile on his face as the other man walked away. His fists clenched again and his eyes narrowed. Laxus didn't know why he suddenly felt angry and possessive. Maybe he was afraid someone was going to come in and change their team's dynamic. Laxus nodded internally. That had to be what he was feeling.

"Laxus, are you okay?"

He had forgotten that he was talking with Mirajane. "Yeah," he said after clearing his throat. "I'm fine."

After that Laxus slipped out, ensuring that none of the Thunder God Tribe saw him. He went home and tried to relax, hoping that would improve his mood. Yet his mind kept wandering back to Freed and his dinner date with the reporter. The image of the two of them laughing together was seared into his brain. He wondered what the reporter could have said that made Freed blush like that.

It was already dark outside when Laxus decided that he couldn't be alone with his thoughts any longer. He was approaching the guild hall when he saw Freed and the reporter leaving together. Laxus ducked into some bushes as he watched them pass. Before he knew it he was covertly following them at a distance.

When he realized what he was doing Laxus paused for a moment feeling slightly ashamed. It was ridiculous of him to be stalking a member of his team on a date. But his team was his responsibility. He was had to ensure their safety whether on the job or in their personal lives.

Convinced of his noble intentions Laxus continued to follow them all the way to the restaurant. Freed and the reporter were seated outside on a raised fenced off deck. Laxus stood casually below them. He reassured himself that he wasn't eavesdropping. He was just there in case things went south and Freed needed an out. Besides he couldn't even really hear what they were talking about. But he definitely heard Freed's laugh. It wasn't his quiet laugh when he found something mildly amusing, or his sarcastic laugh when Bickslow told a bad joke; it was a loud and enthusiastic laugh that Laxus rarely heard come from the younger man. It was an unrestrained laugh that Freed didn't even feel safe letting out when he was with his closest friends.

Laxus fumed as he stalked away unwilling to stick around any longer. Things seemed to be going well enough that he didn't have to be concerned about the leader of his personal guard. But Laxus wasn't relieved or happy that Freed was having a good time. He was angry that some outsider was able to make Freed laugh and blush. His anger boiled inside him and permeated Laxus like a venom.

As he walked home, passing citizens of Magnolia gave Laxus a wide berth. He knew why but didn't care and given the electricity was crackling around him, plus the dark look he probably had on his face he didn't blame them. He continued to dwell on the thought of sharing Freed with a new boyfriend. By the time he got home he finally exploded. His fist collided with the wall leaving a huge hole with charred drywall still crumbling off around it.

* * *

Freed grinned trying to hold back his laughing fit as Asher finished telling another embarrassing story about a celebrity mage he had met or interviewed. "And I swear, she took the shrimp and threw it at her now ex-boyfriend. Hit him right between the eyes."

The waiter dropped off their food as they both tried to calm their laughter. Asher took a sip of his drink as they prepared to start their meals. "Before we start the interview I wanted to ask you something; off the record."

Freed's smile waned slightly. "What is it?"

"I've met a lot of people over my time working for _Sorcerer Weekly_ , and to be honest most of what the magazine has labelled 'the greatest wizards of our time' turn out to be first rate assholes. So I wanted to know is Laxus actually as great as you guys are saying he is? I've heard rumors that he can be a real jerk."

Freed fought to stay cool. Asher's tone wasn't accusing but it was skeptical. His first instinct was to jump up and defend Laxus with his whole heart. He took a sip of his drink to give himself a moment to calm down and think through his response. His cup made a soft clink as he set it down. When his eyes met Asher's he did his best to convey the sincerity it his statement. "Laxus has made mistakes in his youth. I won't deny that. We all have. What makes Laxus great is that he has learned from those mistakes. In fact he spends every day trying to atone for them. If someone would say that he is a 'jerk' now, then I would say that they did not give him a real chance. I've known Laxus for years and I can honestly say that he is the bravest, most passionate, most caring, most human, person I've ever met." Freed stopped there, knowing that if allowed he would go on for hours about how amazing Laxus was. Asher was looking at him with an odd expression and he could already feel himself blushing at the conviction that had been in his voice.

"Okay then," Asher said after a moment. "We should get the interview started."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Asher sat at a table with the Thunder God Tribe explaining what shots they were going to take for the photoshoot. Freed was listening intently but quickly became distracted at the sight of Laxus entering the guild hall. "Laxus!" he called as he jumped up. Evergreen and Bickslow also leapt to their feet at Freed's announcement. The three of them ran over to greet their friend, Asher and the photoshoot forgotten.

Laxus gave them a half smile but it faded when his eyes met Freed's. His expression became closed off and gave them an unenthusiastic greeting of "Hi, guys."

"You're back early. How was the job?" Evergreen asked curiously.

Laxus shrugged. "It was like any other job. What going on here?" He nodded at Asher who had stood but hung back.

"A reporter from _Sorcerer Weekly_ wanted to interview us about you. Today we're doing a photoshoot," Bickslow explained.

Laxus could feel Freed's concerned gaze on him but he actively avoided his eyes. "Don't let me interrupt."

He turned to walk over to the bar but was stopped when Asher spoke up. "You wouldn't be interrupting. In fact I think it would be great if you would participate in the photoshoot. Maybe even give a short interview?" he asked hopefully.

A sneer tried to force its way onto Laxus' face but he was able to keep a neutral expression. "Sure," he replied calmly.

"Great! So as I was explaining, my photographer is getting set up on the beach. We wanted to do a 'Fun in the Sun' shoot. We even brought some designer swimsuits for all of you."

As Asher explained Freed watched Laxus. He wondered why the older man was suddenly being cold toward him. Had he done something to offend him in the short time Laxus had been back? Falling out of favor with Laxus was the one thing that he couldn't bear. He planned to talk to him in private after the shoot and ask him about it.

* * *

Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Laxus all stood on the beach in their swimsuits waiting for the photoshoot to start. Their hair and makeup was done, now they were just waiting while Asher and the photographer argued about how to pose them.

Growing impatient with waiting to speak with Laxus, Freed turned to the older man. "Laxus, is everything all right between us?"

Laxus had his muscular arms crossed over his chest as he watched the reporter gesture from them to the ocean as he argued with the photographer. "I don't know," he replied cryptically. "Is there something we need to talk about?"

Freed frowned in confusion, feeling a bit thrown by Laxus' question. "I don't believe there is."

Apparently that was the wrong answer because Laxus' expression hardened as he continued staring straight ahead. "Then I guess we're fine."

Evergreen was looking at them a bit curiously but Bickslow was oblivious to the change in mood. "When are we going to start taking pictures?" he complained. "I'm bored out of my mind."

Evergreen sighed in exasperation. "Can you at least try to be professional? Patience is a virtue, you know."

Asher came walking over and gave them a strained smile. "Sorry about that. We're finally ready to start the shoot."

The photographer approached them with a smile that only faltered for a moment as she threw a dirty look at Asher. "Hi, I'm Opal. I'm going to be photographing you today. If we could move over to these rocks over here, I would like to get a photo of all of you sitting on them."

Opal got them positioned on the rocks. Laxus sat at the front, Freed was seated slightly higher than him and to the right, Evergreen was up and to the left, and Bickslow was behind him. They got a few shots then repositioned them.

Two hours later they finally took a break. Bickslow was trying to cool off in the ocean with the wardrobe manager screaming at him not to get the swimsuit wet. Freed was getting his hair restyled even though he insisted it was fine. Evergreen noticed Laxus glaring in Asher's direction and raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have a problem with Asher?"

"Do you think Freed is interested in him?"

Evergreen's eyes widened in surprise. "I don't think so… Well, we both did notice how good looking he is. He has the tall, dark, and handsome thing going on."

"And do you think Asher may be interested in Freed?"

"I don't know. But now that you mention it, I think he might have been checking out Freed in that swimsuit."

Laxus' suddenly turned to Evergreen. "Really?"

"I don't know," she emphasized. She looked hard at him and then narrowed her eyes. "Why are you so concerned whether or not they are into each other?"

Laxus cleared his throat as he looked away again. "Because it may affect our ability to work as a team."

Evergreen hummed thoughtfully. "If you say so."

When they got started again Laxus kept following Asher's gaze to make sure that he wasn't looking anywhere inappropriate. Opal let out a growl of frustration when Laxus wasn't listening to her. "Get your head out of the clouds, Mr. Dreyar!" she screamed.

Laxus' cheeks went pink at the attention suddenly drawn to him. "Sorry. Where do you want me?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Just stand over there and look like you're drying your hair with the towel. But look pouty, not that angry scowl you always have, but like a sexy pout."

He rolled his eyes but obeyed. Evergreen was laying on her own towel, sunbathing in a ridiculous pose, while Bickslow pretended to be building a sand castle. Freed was sitting on the shore just close enough for his toes to be lapped by the water.

"Perfect," Opal said at the same time they could her the click of the camera's shutter.

Laxus held the pose but he caught Asher smiling at something out of the corner of his eye. He did his best to follow what Asher was looking at without moving and ruining the shot. The end of Asher's gaze landed on Freed's long legs. The ocean mist caused his pale skin to shimmer in the sunlight. The thought of anyone else admiring those legs made Laxus feel irrationally possessive. "Photoshoot be damned," he muttered as he got to his feet, tossing the towel aside.

Opal let out an exasperated sigh. "I only need a couple more shots, Mr. Dreyar."

Laxus stormed over to Asher ignoring the concerned calls of his teammates. He shoved the reporter hard causing him to stumble backwards. "What do you think you're looking at?" he demanded.

"What the hell!" Asher cried indignantly. "I'm not looking at anything!"

"You think after one date with Freed you can look at him like that?" Laxus yelled shoving him again. "Think you're going to get in his pants?"

"Laxus!" Freed yelled in a shaky voice drawing him out of his rage. He turned around and saw the younger man glaring at him with fists clenched. "We need to talk in private."

Freed led the way up to the guild hall but stopped short of actually going inside. During the short walk there he tried to figure out what he was going to say while swallowing down his embarrassment. Why would Laxus act like that? He hadn't seen that enraged side of his friend in a long time.

He turned to face Laxus but took a step back when he realized he was standing so close. "What is going on?" he asked with a tired sigh.

Laxus shove his hands in the pockets of his swim trunks and looked down. "That- That reporter was acting inappropriate," he defended weakly.

Freed crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. He wanted to let Laxus use whatever flimsy excuse he could think of and accept it but he knew that if they didn't figure it out now this would come back to bite them. "The only one who acted inappropriately today was you, Laxus. Why did you say those things to Asher? Why do you think we went on a date?"

"You two went to dinner last night. And I didn't think it was right that he looking at you like that after one date."

"How did you know we went out to dinner?"

Freed watched as Laxus slowly looked up at him. There was hurt in the older man's eyes and he was confused as to why. "I saw you two. You were laughing together like stupid teenagers."

If he didn't know any better Freed would say that Laxus sounded jealous. But that would be silly. "Were you spying on us?" Freed asked indignantly.

Laxus' face hardened and Freed knew that he had taken the wrong approach. "Well, I figured that I would keep an eye on my teammate. The decisions that you make, even in your personal life, affect the whole team."

"Only to a certain point! I am allowed to date without your interference." Freed had forgotten to point out that it wasn't even a date that Laxus had observed, but now it was about the principle of the thing. It was frustrating that Laxus only took notice of him once his focus had supposedly shifted to someone else. He had spent years being loyal to a fault and the result of it was Laxus believing that he had some kind of ownership over his life. "Being your teammate- being your friend does not mean that you get to dictate my personal life."

"I'm not trying to-" Laxus struggled to figure out what to say. "Asher isn't right for you!"

"Then who is right for me, Laxus?"

"I…" he trailed off looking a bit confused. Laxus suddenly licked his lips seeming to be incredibly frustrated.

Freed sighed, deflated. "None of this even matters. I wasn't on a date with Asher. It was just a one on one interview. He had appointments the whole rest of the day and that was the only time he could do it. Don't worry, no one is going to steal me away from the team." The thought that normally he would be thrilled to be getting all of this attention from Laxus crossed his mind. Maybe it was Cana's talk with him that had changed his mind set. Now he just felt disappointed that Laxus didn't return his feelings and at the same time refused to let him seek out a romantic relationship with someone else. He felt almost as trapped and empty as before he left home. Freed turned toward the guild hall. "I don't think I can finish the rest of the photoshoot."

"Me," Laxus suddenly said in a hoarse voice.

"What?" he asked wearily.

Laxus gently took Freed's arm and turned him to face him once again. "I'm right for you."

Freed tried to swallow hard, mouth suddenly to dry to speak. "What do you mean?" The words came out as a whisper.

"I mean that I was acting like such an idiot because I was jealous and it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it. Talking to you right now kind of helped me figure it out." Laxus gripped Freed's arm a bit tighter. "I like you as more than a friend."

It was like the world had been in black and white and Freed was now seeing it color. Laxus had just confessed that he liked him as more than a friend. The empty and trapped feeling disappeared and instead joy and rapture took its place. "Really?" he asked, having to reassure himself this was actually happening.

Laxus leaned down and pressed his lips to his. Freed enjoyed the soft feeling of the older man's lips for what seemed like only a split-second before the kiss ended as suddenly as it had began. "That enough proof for you?"

Freed opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to find his voice. He finally settled for nodding in reply.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello, dear readers, here is chapter four. I hope that you enjoy it. I appreciate any constructive feedback. Just so you know, this is in no way the end of the story this is only the beginning.

Chapter 4

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck and looked everywhere but at Asher as he spoke. "I'm sorry for acting like an ass before. I shouldn't have assumed something without having all the facts." He glanced at Freed who nodded, satisfied with the apology.

Asher smiled knowingly. "Apology accepted. I understand that you were just looking out for Freed. You care a lot about him." He paused for a moment looking back and forth between them. "Are you two…?"

Freed blushed, feeling flustered as he thought back to the kiss and wondered whether that meant they were together. "No," he replied deciding to play it safe. "We're not-"

"Yeah," Laxus cut him off. "We're together." He turned to Freed suddenly looking a bit unsure. "If that's what you want."

Freed stood in a stunned silence for a moment. This had to be too good to be true. Laxus really wanted to be with him and all he had to do was say "yes". He must have silent for too long because the older man started to look nervous. "Yes, it is," he replied enthusiastically. Laxus gave him a relieved half smile at his answer.

Nearby Evergreen and Bickslow had been calmly listening to the conversation up to that point. Both of their jaws dropped in shock. Evergreen recovered first and snapped her mouth shut. She then reached over pushed Bickslow's chin up until his teeth clicked together. There was a strange smile on her face as she watched the new couple.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly drew everyone's attention to where Opal stood holding up her camera. "That was a nice apology and all but can we please finish the photoshoot. We have two shots left. Two! Then we're done. Do we think we can make it through two more shots?" Her voice gradually rose as she spoke and she began to look a bit deranged.

Asher looked over at the team of wizards as he let out a nervous laugh. "Please say 'yes'," he whispered pleadingly.

"Yes," Freed responded for himself and his friends. "I think we worked out our issues so we can make it through two more shots."

Opal nodded but then glared at Laxus. "I'm watching you," she growled.

As she led the way Laxus leaned over to Freed. "I don't think she likes me."

* * *

Once the photoshoot was over Asher, Opal, and the rest of their team from _Sorcerer Weekly_ started to clean up. Neither Asher nor Laxus mentioned the short interview they had talked about early. It was either forgotten or disregarded.

The Thunder God Tribe and Laxus offered to help with the cleanup. Laxus somehow ended up helping Opal pack up her equipment. He was as careful as possible as he handed her pieces of photography equipment, not wanting to set her off.

"You don't have to be so tense," she informed him. "I'm not going to bite your head off."

"I didn't think you were," Laxus claimed, though he did relax a little.

"I get a bit stressed during shoots but once it's over I calm down. Sorry, if I was a bit harsh with you."

"I think I should be the one apologizing for interrupting your shoot," He said as he handed her the folded tripod.

She looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. "You're right. So I accept your apology and take back mine."

Laxus raised an eyebrow at her logic. "I think we can both apologize. It doesn't have to be one or the other."

"Just so you know you didn't have to be all jealous earlier. Asher wasn't going to make a move on Mr. Justine. He knows how to keep it professional."

The shift in topic caused him a moment of confusion before he replied. "Yeah, I know that now. It was just a misunderstanding."

Opal zipped up her bag and turned to Laxus. "So how long have you two been together?"

Laxus shifted uncomfortably. "Shouldn't we help everyone else finish packing up?"

"They'll be fine. Now that my work is done I feel like being nosey." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a sinister smile. "So how long have you and Mr. Justine been together?"

Somehow this side of her seemed more dangerous to Laxus than her angry business like demeanor. "We haven't been together long."

Opal rolled her eyes. "Be more specific."

He wanted to tell her to piss off, that he didn't have to answer her questions, but her penetrating gaze held him there. With a sigh he explained how he hadn't recognized his feelings for Freed until he had gotten jealous over the misunderstanding with Asher.

She let out a ridiculous snort and Laxus glared at her. "Sorry, but how were you so oblivious to your feelings toward someone you're that close to?"

"I don't know. I knew that he made me feel differently than anyone else but I never realized what that meant until now."

Opal nodded in understanding. "Sometimes you don't realize what's right in front of you until you almost lose it."

Laxus grunted in agreement with her statement then shook himself when he realized what he had just confided to someone he barely knew. "Why the hell am I telling you all of this?"

"I don't know!" she yelled offended by his tone. "You're the one blabbering on."

"You're the one who asked me in the first place!"

* * *

Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe sat on the beach together as the sun set. Freed was afraid that it would all turn out to have been a dream but he figured even if it was he would enjoy it while he could. He leaned his head against Laxus' shoulder and the older man put an arm around him.

"I should've known," Evergreen muttered breaking the silence and attracting everyone's attention. "When Laxus was getting all jealous, that's when I should've known."

Laxus frowned at her. "Known what?"

She smirked over at him and waggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "That you have it bad for Freed."

Her statement didn't seem to faze him. He merely looked over at her calmly and asked, "So when are you and Elfman setting a date?"

They all chuckled at the bright shade of red she turned at the mention of Elfman. Her yelling, "Shut up!" only made them attempt to stifle their laughter while trading grins.

"By the way," Laxus said only barely loud enough for them to hear once they had calmed down. "You are right, Ever." He pressed a kiss to the side of Freed's mouth to emphasize his point.

Bickslow laid back on the sand and made a strange gesture to his dolls that were floating above him. They floated over to Freed and Laxus and hovered behind them. Then they started chanting, "Freed and Laxus sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Laxus' expression darkened and he turned to shoot lightning bolts at the dolls. They dodged out of the way as Bickslow cackled at the scene.

Freed smirked and shook his head. He knew that it was all good natured teasing and he found it comforting. The thought that he wished he had friends like this as a child crossed his mind. He mentally shook himself stopping himself from letting his thoughts drift back to his childhood home. This was where he was at now. He refused to think on the past when he had such a wonderful present and an equally wonderful future ahead of him.

* * *

Three days later…

The Thunder God Tribe and Laxus all sat together waiting for the emergency guild meeting to begin. Everyone was there nervously chattering as they wondered what it could be about. Nearby Gray and Natsu were fighting. Gray was yelling how it must be about Natsu's continued destruction of property while on jobs, while Natsu shouted how it must be about Gray's stripping problem.

Laxus rubbed at his temples feeling a headache coming on. Freed covertly reached over and put a hand on his knee. He looked up and smiled at his boyfriend. They were keeping their relationship quiet so far, though they weren't hiding it either. Laxus just liked his privacy and Freed still couldn't believe it was real.

Makarov got up in front of the guild a huge grin on his face. Laxus threw a warning ball of lightning at Gray and Natsu getting them to pay attention. "Why does everyone look so glum?" the guild master asked. "I called you all together for a celebration! I have an announcement to make."

The nervous chattering shifted into excited tones. Makarov looked around allowing the suspense to build. Then his gaze met Laxus' and he winked. Laxus felt his stomach drop. He tried to convince himself that his own grandfather wouldn't embarrass him like this, but unfortunately he knew better. He looked at Freed and realized that he hadn't caught the wink. All he could think was that poor Freed had no idea what was about to happen and all because Laxus had been careless.

Last night…

 _Laxus sat at the bar waiting for Freed to get back from the job that he had claimed would only take the afternoon. It was already five and he was getting impatient. Makarov sat beside him with a heavy sigh. "What do you want, old man?" he grumbled._

" _I was hoping that you and Mira could take care of something for me."_

" _Not tonight. Can it wait until tomorrow?"_

 _Makarov huffed in irritation. "It's time sensitive. What could be keeping you so busy that you can't run a quick errand for me?"_

 _Laxus sighed and looked around for anything that could get him out of having this conversation. Then he saw Freed enter the guild hall and smiled in relief. "A date."_

 _Makarov followed his gaze and his eyes widened. "Oh… Well, I guess, I can find someone else to help Mira."_

Makarov's beaming unnerved Laxus. He tried to silently tell him with his eyes not to do it, but his grandfather was either oblivious or ignoring him. Either way his protests were going unheeded. He had to make one last attempt to escape the embarrassment that awaited him. He grabbed Freed's hand and slid out of his seat. "We need to leave. Now," he hissed.

Freed looked at him with confusion in his eyes but followed his boyfriend's lead. "Is something wrong?" he asked in a whisper.

Makarov chose that moment to continue his announcement. "My grandson Laxus has found love!"

Everyone turned to look at Laxus and Freed who were holding hands as they tried to make their escape. There was silence as everyone realized who Laxus' "love" was. Then a roar of cheering and laughter went through the crowd of guild members.

Laxus glared at his grandfather and Makarov only smiled wider if that was possible. Freed gripped his hand a bit tighter getting his attention. He saw that his boyfriend's face had gone a deep red that was impressive in its shade. "I tried," was all he could say.

* * *

The celebration went well into the evening. At first Freed had been very uncomfortable but once everyone stopped congratulating them and instead focused on acting like rambunctious teenagers, no matter their age, he was able to relax. It was true what people said: Fairy Tail did take any and every opportunity to celebrate.

Laxus went to find Makarov so he could yell at him for embarrassing them, leaving Freed to watch his guild mates' antics and hoping he wouldn't get pulled into it. He nursed his drink in the least noisy corner of the guildhall as the chaos went on around him. Someone suddenly slipped into the seat beside him and he looked up to see Cana. Her face was flushed and she was smiling contentedly.

"Here to give me more dating advice?" Freed asked lightly.

Cana laughed a bit loudly as she had leaned close to him. "No, I came to tell you that I'm happy for you. I always knew you and Laxus would end up together."

He frowned at her in disbelief. "Then why were you trying to get me to go out with other guys?"

"I figured if Laxus saw you interested in someone else then he would get a move on and finally tell you how he feels."

He gave her a skeptical look. "And how did you know he was interested in me?"

Cana took a long drink and was still silent for a long moment even after she was finished swallowing. "Intuition," she said finally.

Freed shook his head. "Cana, you…astonish me."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"That's not necessarily a good thing."

"Yes, it is." She placed a hand on his head, making him frown deeply at her while she laughed.

* * *

Freed and Laxus left before everyone started to get too rowdy. They held hands as they walked toward the dorms. Laxus had insisted that he would walk Freed to his room before going home himself. It was just the two of them beneath the stars and it felt like they were all that existed in the world. To Freed this was the perfect moment and he wished he could stay there with Laxus forever.

He looked down at their intertwined fingers. "I think it feels real now."

"What does?" Laxus asked.

"Us being together. It feels real now that everyone knows."

Laxus frowned unsure how to take Freed's statement. "Did it not feel real before?"

Freed saw the older man's frown and squeezed his hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. He didn't want to have ruined the moment. "It felt like I was dreaming. I was afraid I would wake up and everything would be back to how it was before."

Laxus nodded in understanding. He paused and turned to Freed to press a kiss against his mouth. "Freed, you are very much awake."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out. I wrote one version of it then decided that wasn't the direction I wanted to go and ended up rewriting it. Then my computer did something weird and wasn't letting me access my documents (that ended up taking way too long to sort out). Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I appreciate any feedback. :)

 **Important** : This chapter begins two months after the end of the last chapter.

Chapter 5

The Thunder God Tribe followed Laxus to the request board. Nab quickly stepped aside to allow them full access. Laxus grunted a thanks as he began scanning the job requests. It wasn't long before his hand reached out to take a flyer but another paper was suddenly shoved into his hand.

"What the hell?" He looked around and saw Makarov standing there with his arms folded, a smug grin on his face. The guild master nodded at Laxus to read the paper. He read it out loud for the benefit of his teammates, "In order to reestablish our relationship with the citizens of Magnolia, Fairy Tail will have the honor of holding a fair for the children of Open Hearts Orphanage. Any and all volunteers will be greatly appreciated." Laxus shook his head. "No. We are serious wizards, old man, not entertainment for brats."

Makarov frowned as he pulled the flyer out of Laxus' hands and pinned it to the board. "Winning the Grand Magic Games was a good first step in regaining the trust of a community that has seen us as nothing but a joke for the past seven years but now we need to show them that we still care about them. I expect my grandson to be here Saturday morning with a smile on his face ready to make those children happy." His gaze shifted from Laxus to his teammates. "I also hope to see the Thunder God Tribe here."

As Makarov walked away Laxus glared at him and mumbled under his breath, "I'd like to take that flyer and shove it up your-"

"Laxus!" Freed hissed.

Laxus sighed and turned to Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow. "I'm sorry that you guys got pulled into this."

Freed shook his head. "I'll be happy as long as I get to spend time with you."

"Maybe it could be fun," Evergreen chimed in unconvincingly. She then also sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Who am I kidding? Just being around children gives me a rash."

Bickslow grinned as if Christmas had come early. "I have to go. My babies and I have to prepare for Saturday." He bolted before any of them could comment.

Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen all glanced at each other nervously. "Should we go make sure whatever he's planning is… appropriate?" Freed asked hesitantly.

Laxus shook his head. "Let Bickslow do whatever the hell he wants. Serves the old man right for ordering us to do this on such short notice."

Evergreen put her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "I think Bickslow has the right idea. I mean, if we have to do this anyway we should at least plan something good."

"I thought kids gave you a rash?" Laxus scoffed.

"But showing off is like a soothing balm," she countered. Laxus and Freed looked at each other and then back at her with raised eyebrows. "I already have a couple of ideas."

* * *

When Saturday arrived Laxus was woken by banging on his apartment door. He stumbled out of bed and rushed to throw open the door. He figured that either there was an emergency that needed his specific abilities or he was going to murder whoever woke him.

Laxus found Freed standing on the other side of the door a worried frown scrunching his eyebrows together. Thoughts of homicide fled and were replaced by the thought of how his boyfriend looked kind of cute when he frowned.

"Laxus, I was worried when I didn't see you at the guild hall." Freed stepped past Laxus into the apartment. His voice shifted from concerned to incredulous. "Have you been sleeping this whole time? Everyone's been setting up for the fair."

"I guess I overslept."

"The children are going to be there in half an hour! Ever has been going out of her mind thinking that she would have to figure out how to do everything you two planned by herself."

Laxus felt a little guilty for not being punctual but didn't understand why Freed was getting worked up. "I don't know why she's freaking out. We don't even have to get started until sunset."

"That's not the point. She-" Freed was stopped abruptly by a firm kiss from Laxus. He was mildly annoyed at being interrupted but the annoyance quickly lost the battle with the pleasant warmth that came from being kissed by his boyfriend.

Laxus pulled away and rested his forehead against Freed's. "You go ahead and I will be there as soon as I can."

"You interrupted me," Freed protested weakly.

"Sorry. What were you going to say?"

"I can't remember now."

Laxus smirked and pressed another quick kiss to Freed's lips before pulling away. He turned to his dresser and started pulling out his clothes.

"I know you did that on purpose," Freed pouted as he walked to the door. "If you take too long I'll tell the master and let him come and get you."

* * *

Freed was pleased to see Laxus walk through the guild hall's doors fifteen minutes later. The older man's yellow hair was still slightly damp from showering and Freed wanted to go run his fingers through it. Before he could even go to greet his boyfriend Laxus was pulled away to help finish setting up. The children and orphanage workers showed up soon after.

A good portion of Fairy Tail wizards showed up to entertain the children. Lucy had summoned Cancer to give the children fun hairstyles and Plue to play with some of the younger kids. Natsu and Gray were both showing off their magic for a small crowd of kids along with some workers from the orphanage. Lisanna was using her transforming magic to turn into fun animals for the kids while Bickslow was nearby putting on a puppet show (that was thankfully child-apprpriate) with the help of his "babies". Other wizards had also set up fun games and crafts for the children to participate in.

Freed had set up some runes to create an area that had low gravity so that the children could enter and be able to jump around and float. He monitored the several kids that were currently using the runes, making sure everyone was following the rules. Thankfully they were behaving themselves.

He took a moment to glance around looking for Laxus. He did a double take when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. A young boy sat off in a corner by himself, head down, knees pulled up to his chest. Freed felt a dull ache in his chest at the sight. The boy looked nothing like him and yet the fragileness in the sight reminded him of himself as a child.

* * *

 _Eight year old Freed sat huddled on the dirt floor of his neighbor's shed. He had ran away from home two days ago but hadn't gotten far. He hadn't known where else to go. He didn't have any friends whose houses he could run to and any extended family lived too far away._

 _His stomach growled reminding him of the painful hunger he tried to ignore. The stubbornness in him didn't want to go home but a small hopeful part of him wondered if his family would be worried about him. Maybe if he went home he would welcomed by tearful kisses, relieved that he was alright._

 _He got to his feet and walked home. The more he thought about it he realized that it was just as likely that he would be punished for running away. It was a chance he was willing to take. If he broke the rules he would have to accept the punishment. He would even welcome it as a sign that his parents care enough to discipline him._

 _When he approached the house he saw his older brothers running around out front. Lyle was chasing Zachariah who had obviously done something to upset their eldest sibling. They ran inside the house and Freed followed at a distance._

 _Inside Risa was yelling at their younger sister Guinevere while the boys continued to run around shouting at each other. Freed walked past them, heading for the kitchen where their mother usually was. Before he could go in his mother came out of the kitchen door holding his wailing baby sister Amelia._

" _Would you all please calm down!" his mother begged all of them. "You woke the baby."_

 _Freed felt his heart constrict as he realized that no one had noticed his absence. Life had gone on for them as usual. In the grand scheme of his family's lives he didn't matter. He reached up and tugged on his mother's apron. "Mommy," he said in a choked voice. "I've been at the neighbor's-"_

 _She brushed away his hands as if shooing away a fly. "Freed, not now. I've got my hands full with Amelia. And please stop bothering the neighbors."_

 _He felt tears rush to his eyes as his mother retreated into the kitchen. Without thinking his little legs carried him back outside where he sat down on the front steps. He pulled his knees up to his chest and sobbed._

 _He heard the door open and close a minute later. He looked up to see his sister Risa leaning against the door with her lips twisted in a sneer. "You shouldn't have come back," she hissed. "You got my hopes up thinking you had gotten kidnapped or something."_

 _Freed sniffled and tried to scrub the tears from his eyes. "You noticed I was gone?" he asked hopefully._

" _I noticed you weren't annoying me anymore. No one else noticed you were gone though. I mean, Zach lives with you and I don't think he even realized your bed was empty. But I guess that just goes to show how insignificant you are."_

 _Freed felt each word like a slap to the face. The only family member who noticed him was the one who despised him. He felt an impulse to run again, but this time to keep running past his neighbor's shed, going anywhere that was far away from the house he couldn't call home. He stood and took a step down the front stairs but paused when he felt his stomach growl again. Reality hit him so hard that his knees nearly buckled. He was only eight and couldn't possibly fend for himself._

 _All of a sudden he felt a hand shove him from behind and he tripped down the rest of the stairs landing face down on the ground. "Well, get going!" Risa called laughingly._

 _New tears sprang to his eyes. He was stuck. Trapped in a world where he was invisible or hated._

* * *

Freed took an unthinking step forward as if to approach the boy but second thoughts caused him to step back once more. What would he even say to the child? He didn't know what was making him upset. Then again, just knowing that someone cared would have made him feel better as a child. It would have been enough for him to know that someone saw him. His feet began to carry him forward again, but he stopped short when he saw someone else go to the sad, little boy.

Laxus sat beside the boy and spoke to him. Freed had no idea what was being said but it seemed that his boyfriend was getting through to the child. The boy started to smile a bit, his demeanor slowly began to become more open. There was still hesitance on the boy's behalf but when Laxus stood up he followed.

Freed felt a bit guilty for spying on them and quickly turned away pretending like he hadn't been watching. Laxus led the way over to Freed's booth still chatting with the boy as they made their way through the crowd of children enthralled by Natsu's and Gray's showing off. Peeking out of the corner of his eye, Freed could see them getting closer and it surprised him that he was nervous.

"Freed," Laxus greeted loudly to be heard over the commotion around them. "This is Akemi. I told him that you had a fun booth over here." He tried to be enthusiastic for Akemi's benefit but it ended up sounding forced and awkward to Freed's ears. The young boy seemed too shy and nervous to notice.

"Hello, Akemi," Freed said with a gentle smile. Akemi was looking up at him from beneath his dark brown bangs. He seemed guarded from the way he hugged himself. "Over here within the perimeter of these runes I reduced the gravity of the area. Would you like to try it out?"

The boy turned to look where Freed gestured. His eyes lit up when he saw the other children playing inside but he hesitated before replying. "I don't know," he said softly. "It won't hurt will it?"

"No, it won't," Freed reassured. "I was careful when I wrote the runes."

Akemi looked down as he shuffled his feet. "Okay, I'll try it for a minute." He slowly stepped over the threshold of the runes and flailed for a moment at the sudden change of gravity. When he jumped to test it out he grinned at being able to go higher than he ever had before.

As Freed watched Akemi gradually relax and enjoy himself he wondered why the boy had been upset. Had he just been having a bad day or was it something more? He was pulled out of his thoughts by Laxus' hand slipping into his own. The older man pressed a kiss to the side of Freed's head and he sighed in contentment at the gesture. "That was nice of you," Freed said.

"What was?"

"Bringing Akemi over here and helping him join the other children in having fun."

Laxus shrugged nonchalantly as if it didn't mean anything but Freed noticed the way his cheeks tinged with red and he looked anywhere but at him. "Wasn't a big deal," Laxus muttered.

It was strange to Freed how relating to Akemi and then watching Laxus' concern toward him gave him a feeling of lightness. It was almost as if he was within the reduced gravity runes. If he couldn't have been shown kindness like that as a child at least Akemi got to have that. He wasn't certain but maybe this was closure on his past.

* * *

When the sun started to set everyone was ushered outside. Gray and Juvia put on a water and ice show that was beautiful lit up by the colorful rays of the sun sinking below the horizon. Once it was just barely dark enough behind them Laxus and Evergreen used their combined magic to set off fireworks in the sky. Freed stood a bit taller, proud that his boyfriend and friend created something so amazing.

The children and orphanage workers oohed and awed at the majestic combination of the ice, water, and fireworks. Freed scanned the crowd and after a moment saw Akemi gazing up the sight with wide eyes. The boy's mouth was hanging open in amazement. He smiled at Akemi's reaction, glad that the boy was able to enjoy the rest of his time there.

* * *

After the children had left and everything was over Laxus and Freed were strolling to Laxus' apartment. Laxus had to admit that the fair hadn't been as bad as he thought it was going to be. Makarov had even thanked him for being a good sport about it as they were cleaning up. Now he was going to go back to his apartment with his wonderful boyfriend and hopefully would be able to sleep in in the morning.

He looked over at Freed and was surprised to see a sad but thoughtful expression on his face. He was frowning as his eyes were downcast. "What's wrong?" Laxus asked as touched Freed's elbow.

"I was thinking about all of those children at the orphanage. None of them have any family. I wonder what will happen to them once they leave. Where will they go?"

Laxus shrugged, unsure what answer Freed wanted. "They'll figure it out. I mean, when you think about it most of Fairy Tail's members are orphans and they all did okay."

"I guess so," Freed conceded softly.

Laxus could tell Freed was still not satisfied. It was obvious that he was still thinking about it. As Laxus watched him a thought popped into his head and he blurted out the question before he could think better of it. "Do you have a family?"

Freed's head jerked up. "Excuse me?" he squeaked.

"Sorry, I was just thinking that you've never talked about _your_ family. I was wondering if you had one." Laxus rubbed the back of his neck, nervous that he had stepped over some invisible line. He was about to tell Freed to forget it when his boyfriend replied.

"Yes, I have a family," he said in a tight voice. "I don't really get along with them. That's why I came to Fairy Tail when I was fifteen."

Laxus could feel the shift in mood and decided not to press. He reached over and took Freed's hand, squeezing it lightly. He could understand complicated family relationships and the difficulty of explaining them. Freed would tell him more when he wanted and needed too.

"Well, you found a better family here at Fairy Tail," Laxus said confidently.

Freed let out a short breath of a laugh as he shook his head at his boyfriend's boldness. "You're right. I did." he agreed.

Neither of them said anything more as they made their way to Laxus' apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Freed sat down at his desk with his backlog of two weeks' worth of mail. Their team had just gotten back from a long job that had left them all exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep for three days. Fortunately, there wasn't too much to go through: two copies of _Sorcerer Weekly_ , a few thank you notes from the last jobs they did, bills… He paused when he found a letter from his youngest sister Amelia. His grip unconsciously loosened and the envelope slipped from his fingers.

His address in Amelia's handwriting stared up at him. She was the only one who had cared about him. Along with the warmth that came from seeing that she bothered to contact him came cold guilt.

 _Freed's bag of belongings felt surprisingly light resting on his shoulder. He had left a short unfeeling note on his pillow explaining that he had gone to join a wizard guild. He doubted that they would worry or care but he felt that they had the right to at least know where he went._

 _There was no touch of sadness or sense of loss as he walked out the front door of his childhood house. Freed was leaving home at fifteen to go off on his own and all he felt was relief that he was starting a new chapter. He had practiced his magic whenever he could to prepare for this. His skills were finally at the level that a wizard guild (preferably Fairy Tail) would take him seriously._

 _He got to the bottom of the front steps and felt the urge to break into a run. Getting ready to sprint across the expanse of front yard, he was stopped by a small voice. "Freed!"_

 _He turned around and saw his youngest sister Amelia running down the front steps towards him. She threw herself at him, face smooshed against his stomach. "Freed!" she repeated voice now muffled. "Where are you going?"_

 _Freed gently pushed her away so he could look down at her face. "I'm not going anywhere," he lied._

 _Amelia gave him a skeptical look. "You have a bag and your walking away from the house. Are you going camping? I want to go too!"_

" _No, I'm not camping." Freed sighed. He really didn't want anyone knowing where he was going until he was gone. It was less complicated that way. "I'm just walking into town."_

" _I want to come." Amelia grabbed his hand and started walking, pulling him along._

" _No!" She was ruining everything. He just wanted to get away from this place. "I'm leaving, okay. I'm leaving to go join a wizard guild and I'm never coming back."_

 _Amelia's hand fell away from his. She looked up at him with wide, hurt eyes. "What? Why?"_

" _I hate it here." His voice broke and it shocked him. He had learned to stop caring after years of being disappointed and wounded by his family. The sudden return of emotion unnerved him. Usually it was only Risa who could somehow bring this out in him. "I have to leave before it drives me insane."_

" _I'll go with you. I have to get my stuff and we can go." The seven-year-old turned back to the house but Freed grabbed her arm before she could make more than a half step._

 _When Amelia looked back at him tears were sparkling in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled and Freed's grip faltered. Her emotions were also being laid bare in that moment and he could see a clear reflection of himself. He almost let go and told her to hurry so they could leave. But it wasn't his place to take her with him. "You can't come with me, Amelia. I'm sorry."_

 _Amelia yanked her arm away and she stumbled when he let go. Tears started falling and she rubbed at her eyes. "I know," she sobbed. "I know, but I don't like it here either. And I'll miss you!"_

 _Freed pulled her into a hug and tried to make comforting shushing noises but the lump in his throat made it difficult. "I'll see you again. I promise."_

" _Okay," she whispered. "And when I get old enough I'll come join the wizard guild too."_

" _I'll look forward to that."_

Freed picked up the envelope and tore it open. The letter inside was dated two days ago and his guilt grew a little at missing when Amelia's letter arrived.

 _My dear big brother Freed,_

 _I have missed you greatly and since you wrote to me to tell me that you returned from Tenrou I have tried to find the right time to ask you to visit home. Unfortunately, I am inviting you home under less than ideal circumstances. Mother is ill and only continues to get worse. Father and I are the only ones here to take care of her. I would appreciate it you could come home as soon as possible to help us and to see Mother should things take a turn for the worse._

 _I hate to ask this of you. I know that you are living your own life and that coming home is the last thing you want to do. Please, do this if not for mother or father, for me._

 _Love,_

 _Amelia_

He read over the letter several times before the meaning of the words sunk in. Sad was the wrong word to describe how he felt. Maybe panicked, or possibly inner turmoil, or maybe it was more complex than that. Yet there wasn't any question about whether or not he would go. After leaving Amelia there, going home when she asked was the least he could do. It had been five years… no, twelve years since he had left. He could go home for a few days.

Freed let out a slow breath at the thought of going back to that place. As long as he didn't have to see Risa he was certain that he could make it through a short visit. He would say whatever made up, comforting words he could think of to say to his mother, see what Amelia needed his help with, and then leave.

* * *

Laxus woke up unsure of what had interrupted his much needed sleep. The knocking on the door made him groan in frustration. He stumbled out of bed and squinted against the bright morning light coming in through the window. He opened the door and glared at his guest. When he realized it was Freed he grabbed his sleeve and tugged him inside.

"I woke you again," Freed said with a frown. "I'm sorry, Laxus, I didn't mean to…" He trailed off as Laxus started to pull him towards the bed. "Laxus?"

Laxus ignored his questioning voice and pulled him down into bed with him. He wrapped himself around his boyfriend and shushed him each time Freed tried to say something. "Shut up," Laxus said finally. "I need sleep and you interrupted it, so now you are my prisoner until I'm done sleeping." He smiled in satisfaction when Freed gave in and tucked himself tighter against Laxus.

Sleep didn't truly return to him but he managed a restful half sleep that faded in wakefulness after fifteen minutes. "Not that I don't want you here, but why did you come over at this ungodly hour?" Laxus asked once he had given up on sleep.

Freed sat up against the headboard and Laxus followed suit. "It's one o'clock in the afternoon."

"Oh…"

"I needed to talk to you."

Laxus frowned at the heaviness in Freed's voice. This couldn't be good. "What is it?" As he waited for his boyfriend's reply the thought that Freed could be breaking up with him slithered into his mind making him suddenly feel cold.

"I wanted to let you know that I need to leave town tomorrow and I'll be gone for a few days." Freed looked down as he spoke wrapping a loose string from Laxus' comforter around his finger.

The fear of breaking up quickly fled and concern took its place. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I have to go home for a few days. My sister sent me a letter saying that my mother is sick and I'm needed at home."

"I'll come with you," Laxus said without a second thought.

"What?" Startled at Laxus reply he broke the loose string from the comforter.

"You said that you didn't get along with your family so I figured it might be good to have me there."

"Laxus, you don't have to do that."

"I know. I want to be there for you."

Freed was silent for a long moment and Laxus feared that he may have overstepped. It was hard to tell with Freed. He tended to keep his deeper emotions buried. "Okay," Freed said finally. "I'm planning to leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

As Freed approached the train to board he could feel that Laxus was no longer beside him. He looked behind him and saw his boyfriend lagging behind. Laxus' complexion was already tinged with green in anticipation of the trip.

"Laxus," Freed said in an apologetic tone. "I've been working on something to combat your motion sickness. We can test it out when we get on the train if you'd like."

Laxus swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea."

Once they found their seats and Laxus sat down Freed started to draw runes around their seats. "What are you doing?" Laxus asked.

"These runes should help dampen the sensation of the train's movements. Hopefully, if you can't feel the train moving you can't get motion sick."

"Sounds like solid reasoning," Laxus commented as he watched Freed at work writing the runes.

When Freed finished he sat down next to Laxus who had his head leaned back and eyes shut. It wasn't long after that that the scenery started to flash past the window. He smiled realizing that he could not feel the train moving. He waited for some sign of Laxus' motion sickness and after a full two minutes the older man commented, "When is this train going to leave?"

Freed placed his hand on Laxus' arm. "We already left."

Laxus' eyes shot open and turned fully in his seat to look out the window. "I don't feel anything," he said in amazement.

Warmth spread through Freed's chest knowing that he had done something to help Laxus. Unfortunately, moments later the tracks got bumpier. To Freed it wasn't very noticeable but the green tinge returned to Laxus' face as soon as they could feel the miniscule movement of the train.

"I'm sorry, Laxus," Freed apologized as his boyfriend doubled over in his seat. "I'll have to try something different next time."

"It's okay," Laxus mumbled between deep breaths. "You did what you could."

An hour later Laxus managed to fall asleep with his head resting on Freed's shoulder. Freed studied their interlaced fingers in his lap, completely in awe of how just a few months ago he wouldn't have thought this was possible. Hoping that he and Laxus would become romantically involved and actually believing it would happen were two different things. Now that it was reality sometimes when he stopped to think about it, he was bewildered by how they had gotten there.

He wondered if their relationship could withstand meeting his family, even if it was just his parents and Amelia. There was a fear inside of him that if anyone knew what his childhood was like, full of being neglected, they would suddenly realize that he didn't deserve recognition. Sometimes he wondered if the reason he had been so ignored by his family was because he inherently deserved it.

Freed held Laxus' hand a bit tighter as he tried to tell himself that he couldn't think like that. If he started on that train of thought, it would only lead him down a dark path. No, he would not let his mind go there. Laxus would never think like that about him. He could trust his boyfriend to see him in a loving and kind light. He had spent all these years building up his confidence and he was not about to let one trip to his childhood home dredge up his old insecurities.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I had mixed feelings about this chapter when I finished it. Please let me know what you think. :)

Chapter 7

The train arrived in the late afternoon. The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky but hadn't quite made it to sunset yet. From what Freed observed as he and Laxus walked through the town not much had changed. It did nothing to help his efforts in compartmentalizing his experiences there as a child. Memories of his mother dragging all of them through town shopping for necessities rose to the surface. He remembered Zachariah running around getting into everything, Guinevere whining for this or that, Lyle doing his best to reign in Zachariah, and Risa pouting as she lagged as far behind as possible in protest. His hands reflexively balled into fists at his sides as it all came back to him. Part of him regretted returning to his hometown and wished that he had just tossed Amelia's letter in the trash. Was alleviating his guilt really worth putting himself through this?

Freed led the way to the inn they would be staying at and checked them in. Their room was small with a single bed for them share. It was sparsely furnished and simply decorated in earth tones. They both set their luggage at the foot of the bed to be unpacked later. Laxus went to the restroom to freshen up while Freed sat back on the bed to wait for him. While he waited he fantasized that they were on a vacation, just the two of them. They were visiting an island resort and they would spend all of their time either on the beach or in their room.

Freed was leaning back with his eyes closed as he pictured it. He felt the bed sink slightly from Laxus sitting down next to him. Lips pressed gently against his temple.

"You ready to go?" Laxus murmured.

"No. I want to pretend that you and I are far away from my family. We are on an island and we are going to stay there forever."

Laxus' lips moved down the side of his face to his neck and Freed sighed in contentment. "Sounds like a plan. We can always go see your family tomorrow."

Freed sighed again but this time it was out of frustration. His eyes opened dissipating the fantasy he was barely holding onto by a fraying thread. "No. I told Amelia we would be coming today and that we would be there in time for dinner."

Laxus reluctantly pulled away. "We should get going then."

"I should warn you about something before we go."

"What is it?" Laxus asked with a concerned frown.

"My dad. He isn't a very open minded man. I've never heard him speak about… same-sex relationships but I know that he always expected his children to follow a strict plan for our lives. I already veered away from that plan by joining a wizard guild and I don't know how he will react to me also being in a relationship with a man. Hopefully, having my sister there as a buffer will help."

The older man's frown deepened as Freed spoke and his expression hardened. He nodded in reply to Freed's warning. "Is that why you didn't get along with your family?"

Freed was tempted to say yes. It would be a lot easier than revealing the whole complicated mess. "That is actually only a very small part," he answered not wanting to lie to his boyfriend.

Laxus nodded once more, his expression all too understanding of how complex family relationships were.

* * *

The house was different, it lacked the sounds of children screaming and his parents shouting to be heard over them. Freed felt that the whole atmosphere had changed. It no longer felt suffocating to him and yet the cloud of foreboding that was hanging over his head refused to dissipate.

Laxus looked around intently seeming to take in everything he laid eyes upon. Freed pointed to an oak tree nearby that had grown significantly in the twelve years he had been gone. "I used to read under that tree when I was younger." The older man immediately shifted his gaze to that tree and stared hard at it as if trying to memorize every leaf. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to imagine you as a kid, sitting under that tree, reading your favorite book." Freed could feel his face heating up and he turned away trying to hide his embarrassment. "What were you like as a kid?"

There was silence for a long moment as Freed tried to think of how to answer the question. His thoughts became muddled, overwhelmed by being so close to seeing his family again and trying to give Laxus a satisfactory reply. "I- I kept to myself mostly. I was… I was very lonely."

Laxus' hand shot out and grasped his tightly. He pulled Freed close, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "You aren't lonely anymore, right?"

It was warm being in Laxus' arms. Freed felt a pleasant tingle going through his body almost like a minute amount of electricity running through him. For all he knew it very well could have been. He shook his head against Laxus' shoulder. "No, I'm not lonely. I have loyal comrades, caring friends, and a loving boyfriend. I don't think I have to worry about being lonely."

Laxus slowly released him and they wordlessly agreed to approach the front door. Even though it was a normal front door it was daunting to look up at as they ascended the front steps. From the way his heart pounded in his chest he thought there must be a monster on the other side of it.

He lifted his fist to knock but it ended up hovering in front of the door millimeters away from touching it. _Amelia,_ he told himself, _Think of Amelia._ He pulled his fist back and gave three sharp raps with his knuckles.

Moments later the door was flung open and a young woman with hair the same shade of green as Freed's threw herself into his arms. "Freed!" she shrieked. "You're actually here!"

Freed was too startled to return the embrace. When the woman pulled back his eyes widened in surprise. "Amelia?"

Amelia grinned up at him seeming to enjoy his mild shock. "Expecting the seven-year-old you last saw?"

"No, I just forgot how long it's actually been." Freed felt like he had had the wind knocked out of him. Every once in a while he would forget that they had been frozen for a full seven years on Tenrou instead of the few minutes that it felt like. He had been expecting a twelve-year-old girl not a nineteen-year-old woman.

Amelia stepped aside to allow them to cross the threshold. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is-"

"Wait a second," she cut him off. "You're Laxus! I saw you in the Grand Magic Games. You were amazing. Freed, why didn't you say you were bringing a friend?"

"I didn't know I would be bringing him along at first. I-"

"I'm not his friend," Laxus suddenly broke in. Amelia turned to him with a frown on her face. "I'm his boyfriend."

Amelia blinked and looked to Freed for confirmation. When he nodded she started to giggle. "I want all the details later."

Freed blushed and found himself opening and closing his mouth like a fish unsure of what to say. Finally, he cleared his throat and tried to bring the conversation back to why they were there. "How is mother?"

"What?" She looked at him with a genuinely confused frown.

Freed opened his mouth to clarify when the kitchen door opened and his now elderly parents entered. His mother's green hair was now mostly gray, the lines on her face that had been premature when he was child were now more pronounced and appropriate for her age. His father's light brown hair was flecked with silver. He too had lines on his face to match his wife's but unlike her he now had glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His mother clapped her hands over her mouth looking as if she was about to burst into tears, while his father only smiled sadly.

Amelia's eyes widened with dawning realization. "The letter."

It was odd, adrenaline rushed through Freed's body putting him on high alert. He felt like he was in battle preparing to counter the enemy's next move. "Are you not ill?" he addressed his mother.

His mother looked confused and glanced at Amelia then back at Freed. "No, I'm not. Freed, we asked Amelia to ask you to come home so that we could reconnect and make amends."

Freed whipped around to face his sister. _Betrayal_ was the only word that ran through his head. She knew how he felt about his family and she tricked him into coming home. Yet he figured that he deserved this somehow. He had promised her that he would come back one day and here he was. Still his eyes narrowed in anger. No matter what promises he had made it was cruel to bring him home in such a manner.

He turned to Laxus without saying anything to his sister. "We're leaving," he stated in a surprisingly calm voice before grabbing Laxus' sleeve and pulling him toward the door. He was thankful his boyfriend didn't resist.

As they rushed out the door Freed could hear electricity crackling around Laxus. He glanced back at him and saw a dark expression on his face. Freed looked ahead once more only wanting to focus on getting their things from the inn and getting on the first train back to Magnolia.

They were half way across the yard when the door banged open and Amelia called to them, "Freed, wait! Please, just let me talk to you. Please!"

Freed stopped and released Laxus' arm. He turned around and fixed Amelia with a cold glare. "Why would you lie to me?" he asked simply.

"Because I knew you wouldn't come home otherwise. Twelve years ago you were so desperate to get out of here… I knew you would never come back for any reason short of someone dying."

"That doesn't make it better. That just makes you a manipulator." He wondered if Risa had somehow influenced her after he left. That was one of his worst fears.

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest as she sniffled. "It wasn't like that. You don't understand!"

"What don't I understand?" he snapped.

She took a deep breath and tears started to leak from her eyes, running down her cheeks. Suddenly, she was seven years old again and Freed felt guilty for being angry with her. "After we heard about what happened on Tenrou and found out that you had been there we all thought you were dead. They searched for you but after a few years we decided to have a funeral. When the family got together we all realized that I was the only one who really had any happy memories of you. They all realized that they barely knew you. We were all a mess.

"So when we heard that you had been found, that you were alive, they wanted to apologize for their shortcomings. And I guess now I have to apologize too. I'm sorry, Freed, for lying to you."

The adrenaline was fading and suddenly Freed was exhausted. He never wanted their apologies. All he wanted was to live his life now that he had found happiness. Now everything was being turned upside down because his family had realized that they had neglected their son and brother. No, this wasn't what he wanted.

He felt the numbness he had achieved when he was a child. It subconsciously returned, made easy by the familiar surroundings. "I need to think. I will come back tomorrow."

Amelia looked crestfallen but she nodded in understanding. "Okay. But please no matter what you decide come back to tell me."

"I will." When Freed turned to leave, Laxus put a comforting arm around him. He expected to feel the warmth and love from it but the numbness persisted. There were no feelings connected to it, as if a stranger had placed an arm around him.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter up. It ended up being longer than I intended and because of work responsibilities it then took longer than usual for my beta to get back to me. I need to let you guys know that updates may be a little slow from here on out. My fall semester has started and the work load is a little overwhelming for me. Just know that even though it may take a while for me to get chapters up that I will not abandon this story. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I appreciate any and all feedback.

Chapter 8

Laxus was all too aware that Freed had stayed completely silent after they left his family home. He could tell that it was because the younger man was deep in thought. He didn't try to ask questions or pry but he wished that Freed would share with him what was going on in his head. It was frustrating to feel so helpless to do anything about their situation. It was Freed's decision if they stayed or went home, he knew that, but maybe if he knew a little more background about his boyfriend's family or knew what Freed was thinking he could help him. He didn't like that this burden was only on the younger man's shoulders.

They got some dinner and took it back to their room at the inn. When they had finished eating, Laxus decided to break the silence that had surrounded them since they left the Justine family home. "Freed," He started as he set aside the cartons that had previously been filled with food. "Just so you know, no matter what you choose I'll be supportive. Doesn't matter if you decide to stay here and hear your family out or to go back to Magnolia, I'm with you."

"Thank you," Freed said softly as he sat down on the bed. "But I don't know what I want to do. I know that Amelia had good intentions when she lied in that letter but should I forgive a deception like that so easily? And if we did go home, would I be wondering what would have happened if we stayed?" He huffed out a frustrated breath. "Laxus, tell me what I should do."

Laxus sat down next to Freed on the bed. "I can't make that choice for you." He wanted to though. Seeing the distress that Freed was in made him want to get Freed as far away from his family as possible. It wasn't right for them to be putting all of this on his boyfriend. "All I can say is do what is right for you." It sounded like a cop out even to his own ears. He wanted to rephrase his statement but Freed started speaking before he could.

"I… I think I need to stay. Just for a couple of days. I want to hear what they have to say, otherwise I will always be wondering."

Laxus inwardly sighed. This was going to be an emotional rollercoaster that he was not looking forward to. "If that's what you want…" he gritted out.

Freed hesitated for a moment but nodded. "Yes, it is."

* * *

It was mid-morning the next day when they arrived back at Freed's family's home. When Freed knocked on the door he felt more prepared than he had the previous day even in spite of the stress headache he had woken up with. He was no longer numb but he had reinforced the walls that he needed to protect himself.

The door slowly opened and Amelia stood there looking nervous. "Hi, Freed," she greeted cautiously.

He waited a moment to see if he was still angry but it had faded. Of all the people in his family he figured that she most deserved a second chance. "Hello, Amelia."

"Are you… going to leave or…"

"We will stay for two days," he stated firmly. "Then we are going back to Magnolia."

Amelia's eyes immediately shimmered with tears. She looked caught between smiling and crying as she moved forward to hug Freed tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied," she told him, voiced muffled in his shirt. "Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," he reassured her. He didn't hate her but he no longer felt the warmth he had felt when he first saw her the other day.

Amelia pulled away and stepped aside for them to enter the house. As she did so she called to her parents. "He's going to stay!"

"For two days only," he clarified again as they stepped inside.

When they walked into the living room Freed was surprised to see not only his parents but also his eldest brother Lyle. Lyle was wearing a crisp business suit with his light brown hair combed in equal neatness. A thin smile that looked more like a grimace played at his lips.

"Freed, it's good to see you," Lyle said as he stood to greet him. His older brother gave him a quick, awkward, hug that he did not return. Their age difference had made it difficult for them to bond as children. It hadn't helped that they had no common interests and their father had obviously favored Lyle.

Freed's mother stood and looked like she was about to also hug Freed but thought better of it. "Please, sit down," she told Freed and Laxus. "Would either of you like some tea or coffee?"

"No, thank you," Freed said as he sat down. Amelia sat down on his left while Laxus sat down on his right. It was uncomfortably warm having both of them sitting so close to him, but he did not pull away when Laxus placed an arm around him.

"Some tea. Thanks," Laxus replied.

An awkward silence settled over the room as they waited for Freed's mother to return. Everyone let out a relieved sigh when she came back quicker than expected and handed the tea to Laxus. She also set down a tray of cookies for everyone. Amelia was the first to grab a handful of cookies. Freed inferred from how quickly she shoved the cookies in her mouth that she didn't want to have to be the one to break the silence.

"So you are part of a wizard guild, correct?" his father began.

"Yes," Freed replied stiffly. "Laxus and I are part of Fairy Tail."

"How's that going?"

"Well. It's a strong guild, full of wizards that are enjoyable to be around and enjoy what they do." He paused for a moment before continuing in a softer voice that sounded almost fond. "I belong there."

His father cleared his throat awkwardly. "Good. That's good."

The uncomfortable silence returned and Amelia grabbed another handful of cookies. Freed could feel Laxus fidgeting beside him. He was starting to think that maybe staying hadn't been such a good idea. The tension and awkwardness was going to be difficult to get past.

"Freed!" Lyle suddenly said in too loud of a voice. "Sorry," he said adjusting his volume to a more normal tone. "Freed, can I talk to you in private. Please." He had already started to stand so without replying Freed followed his lead. Laxus squeezed his hand lightly as he stood and it calmed some of the tension in his body.

Lyle led the way into their father's study. He shut the door and turned to look at Freed with nervousness in his eyes. Sweat had already started to bead above his upper lip. He hemmed and hawed before finally saying. "You're taller than I remember."

"Yes, Lyle. That's because the last time you saw me I was fifteen." Freed cleared his throat feeling a slight tickle. He glanced around and upon seeing the thin layer of dust on every surface figured that must be the reason.

"How old are you now?"

Freed sighed as he glanced out the window. "Twenty. Though if you include the seven years on Tenrou I am technically twenty-seven. Why did you want to speak with me?"

"I wanted to ask you something." Lyle breathed in deeply through his nose before he continued. "Why did you only contact Amelia after you got back from Tenrou?"

"Why do I owe you an explanation?" Freed didn't expect everyone to grovel at his feet for forgiveness but he also didn't expect to be questioned about why he didn't reach out first.

"I didn't mean it like that, Freed. I just wanted to know if you thought that the rest of us didn't care."

"That's exactly what I thought." The tension Laxus had relieved with his touch had returned. His defenses doubled as he waited for Lyle to reply.

"I do care," Lyle said trying to put force behind his words. "You're my little brother. I care about if you're alive; if you're happy."

Freed could see that Lyle was desperate for Freed to tell him that everything was okay between them. Perhaps Lyle held some guilt that he wished to be released from. Lyle had never been as bad as Risa but there had been instances that his older brother had overlooked his well-being. He remembered a time when he was ten he had complained to Lyle about having a sprained ankle but his brother had ignored him. By the time they got home it had swelled to twice its size and it was discovered that he had broken it while playing.

"Sorry if I don't give you points for caring until after you thought I was dead."

Lyle ran a hand over his face in a frustrated manner. "I was a bit preoccupied with dad pressuring me to be the perfect son so I could take over the company. I didn't have time to be your best friend," he snapped.

"It was a mistake to even think that it would be a good idea to stay here for more than a few minutes," Freed scoffed as he turned to leave. "This was never about any of you making it right with me. It was about you wanting me to tell you what you wanted to hear. If you don't want to even bother to understand what I felt, then there is no point to any of this."

"I'm sorry." Lyle reached out and grabbed his arm. "What I'm trying to say is that we all had problems growing up."

Freed turned back to his brother. He knew that their father wanted to shape Lyle into the perfect son. He had heard them fight about it many times. He couldn't honestly say he would have chosen that over being invisible, but someone caring too much about him wouldn't have been worse.

"How long did it take for any of you to realize I was gone?"

Lyle was silent as he looked down refusing to meet Freed's eyes. Freed stared at him waiting for an answer. "Too long," Lyle replied after a while.

"Would you have traded places with me to avoid father's pressure for you to be the model son?" Freed's tone wasn't accusing. It was cold with no inflection, almost as if he wasn't asking a question.

"No," Lyle answered too quickly.

Freed didn't want Lyle to feel bad for him. He just wanted his brother to understand. If he was going to stay like they had wanted, he wasn't going to spend it letting anyone question him. If they wanted him to hear them out, then they would have to hear him out too.

"I'm sorry," Lyle said after a long moment. "I guess I had never thought about what you must have went through."

The tickle in his throat had returned and Freed let out a slight cough that he tried to repress. "The past is the past. I regret having to dig it back up."

* * *

Amelia and Freed's mother had left to shop for lunch and dinner. They agreed that they should make something special for Freed. This left Laxus alone with Freed's father.

He remembered what Freed had told him about his father's attitude. He kept his guard up, waiting for the inevitable snide remarks or disgusted glares. It threw him when neither of these came. Instead the other man just nervously glanced back and forth between Laxus and some random spot on the wall or floor.

Laxus was in no rush to start a conversation with Freed's father but the other man seemed to despise the silence that settled around them. "So," Freed's father started. "What kind of magic do you wield?"

"Lightning magic," he answered shortly.

The older man's eyes widened slightly in interest. "I think my company published a book on lightning magic a few years back. It sold moderately well."

Laxus had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "You own a publishing company?"

"Yes," he said, puffing up with pride. "Justine& Sons Publishing Co. It's a family business started by my grandfather."

"Mr. Justine-"

"Please, call me Cyrano."

"Cyrano," Laxus corrected with a raised eyebrow. "Freed loves books. So I was wondering, were you planning to have Freed work at your publishing company when he was younger?"

Cyrano sighed heavily as he replied. "That was my plan for all of my boys. Lyle was to take over. Which he did. Zachariah was supposed to be the vice president and Freed… Well, I would have found a place for Freed. Unfortunately, Freed and Zachariah strayed from that path."

Laxus' fists clenched at the way Cyrano spoke of Freed as an afterthought. He opened his mouth to point this out but the older man continued.

"I used to be so rigid about my plans for my children, but after we heard that Freed had been lost… It changed how I viewed things. Those plans became so unimportant. Knowing if my children were happy; I know now that that is what is important. Is Freed happy at Fairy Tail?"

At a loss for words, Laxus had to take a moment to process what Cyrano was saying. "Yeah. He's very happy."

Cyrano leaned forward and asked sincerely. "And is he happy with you?"

"Yes. I think so."

The older man leaned back again looking relieved. "Good. When I thought I had lost Freed it broke my heart. Then when I realized that I had lost him a long time ago it broke me to my core. I know my wife felt the same way. I know we can never make up for that but I will do my best to make sure he has a good life in spite of his lack-luster upbringing."

Laxus slowly unclenched his fists as Cyrano spoke. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that they stayed. If the whole family's attitude was similar to Cyrano's it might do all of them some good to talk things out. Freed may not be able to forgive them and he wouldn't blame him for that but it may be possible for them to achieve closure.

* * *

When they exited the study Freed found Laxus and his father chatting amicably in the living room. It wasn't a bad thing, but to see them talking so easily, his stomach tied itself in knots at the scene before him. The only reason for this he could find was that he may be jealous. It was ridiculous and at the same time he wanted to justify it. He honestly could not recall a time in his youth that his father talked directly to him, and now Laxus was able to have full conversation with the man.

Lyle went to sit down next to Cyrano as he asked, "Where are mother and Amelia?"

"They went on a quick trip for some groceries." He turned his attention to Freed and gave him a cautious smile. "They wanted to make something special for you."

Freed nodded as he ducked his head and then quickly sat down next to Laxus. He had no idea how to talk to this man who had been only a background presence throughout his childhood. It was as if Freed had been in the shadows in the time he had lived there and now the spotlight was suddenly on him. As much as he was envious of the way his boyfriend was able to talk to his father he still didn't know how to do that.

"Freed," Cyrano tried again. "Laxus was telling me about how you are an excellent rune mage."

Freed cleared his throat in preparation to reply. A wave of light headedness hit him and he was unsure if it was nervousness or the fact that it was too warm in the house. "I'm sure Laxus was exaggerating," he said softly. He cringed a bit at his self-deprecation. It was a habit that he thought he had successfully broken but the old surroundings seemed to have brought it back.

"No, I wasn't," Laxus stated as he lightly touched Freed's hand.

Cyrano swallowed hard and tried again. "Lyle was telling me that the company was considering publishing some more books on different kinds of magic. I was thinking that we could do one on runes and, if you wanted, you could help with research."

Freed let out a shaky breath at the thought of working with his father's company on such a project. It was not something that he wanted to even consider doing but the fact that his father offered, surprisingly, meant a lot to him. The emotion in Cyrano's voice convinced him that it wasn't an empty, off-hand comment. There was follow through behind his father's words.

There was no pause for Freed to answer as his father went on about the conditions. He assured that Freed could work with them on his own terms and that he would be paid well. It took longer than Freed thought it would to find an opening to refuse the offer.

"Father," Freed finally broke in. "Thank you for the offer but I will have to decline."

Cyrano smiled sadly but nodded in understanding. "Of course. It was presumptuous of me to ask."

"I don't think it would be a healthy situation at the moment."

The sound of the back door opening drew their attention which Freed was thankful for. "Wilhelmina, I hope you and Amelia can whip up some lunch fast cause we're all starving," Cyrano called trying too hard to sound cheerful.

"We would have been home sooner," Amelia stated as they entered the room. "But we found this troublemaker in town."

A young man with boyish features and messy brown hair strutted into the room with a laid back grin on his face. "Hey, I heard Freed was going to be here and decided to drop by," he stopped and patted Lyle on the shoulder. "I brought some presents for the kids. Remind me to give them to you later."

Freed remembered sharing a room Zachariah for his whole childhood. He was Freed's complete opposite. Zachariah was loud, impulsive, and as Amelia had said: a troublemaker. His brother walked over and fell into the seat next Freed.

"It's good to see you, Freed. I heard you're a part of a wizard guild. That sounds really exciting. I'm a treasure hunter myself. Have you come across anything that might be of interest to me? I would really appreciate if you could point me in the direction of anything valuable."

Freed's eyes went a little wide at how blunt Zachariah was being. It was off-putting to say the least. His mother and Amelia had silently slipped into the kitchen with the groceries while his brother had been speaking. Laxus looked disgusted by Zachariah's request while Cyrano and Lyle just nervously fidgeted in their seats.

"No, I haven't come across anything that would interest a treasure hunter," Freed stated simply.

Zachariah wilted a bit in disappointment. "Oh." He sat back for a moment but when he looked back up a Freed again he seemed to notice Laxus for the first time. "Who's this?"

"This is Laxus," he replied, not feeling inclined to give Zachariah more of an answer than necessary.

His brother perked up in interest as the grin returned to his face. "So, are you two a thing?"

Laxus nodded in affirmation. "Yeah,"

"Good for you," Zachariah said as he patted Freed on the back. The sudden impact jarred him a bit causing a small coughing fit. Zachariah turned to Laxus and winked. "He's had a thing for you since he was kid."

"What?" Cyrano and Lyle said in unison.

Freed felt his face go warm as he blushed. This couldn't be happening. How could Zachariah even know? He had never talked about Laxus to any of his family but Risa. "How do you know that?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Zachariah's grin widened. "I read your diary once. Well, I skimmed it."

"How? I put an enchantment on it to encode everything I wrote."

"You weren't as good at magic as you thought you were back then. I'm not much of a reader so I just kind of flipped through it but when I saw a page with little hearts on it I knew I had to read that." He turned to Laxus again and seemed to miss the death glare the dragon slayer was giving him. "He wrote about how handsome-"

"I think you need to stop," Laxus advised in a growl.

Zachariah's mouth snapped shut at Laxus' words. Freed could feel Lyle and his father staring at him curiously and Laxus sitting too close on one side of him with Zachariah cowering on the other. He was beginning to miss being ignored. Without a word he stood and escaped outside.

As soon as the fresh air hit his face he took large gulps of it. The air must have been a bit too cool for him because he started coughing again. It hurt to know that Zachariah violated his privacy like that, he may have been able to forgive him had he not used it against him in such a humiliating way. What if Laxus thought he was a pathetic stalker and wanted to break up with him now?

He walked over to the oak tree that had given him shade and comfort in his childhood and collapsed beneath it. As he rested his head back against the tree he realized that his face still felt warm from blushing and wondered how long the embarrassment would last. When he saw the front door open moments later he hoped it would be Laxus and he could request that they go home now or at least back to the inn so he could reevaluate his decision to stay. Instead it was Zachariah who had exited the house and was sheepishly approaching him.

When his brother reached him the older man sat down on the ground in front of him. "I'm sorry," Zachariah muttered as he pulled at the blades of grass by his feet. "Sometimes I say stupid things without thinking. I know it's not a good excuse but I really didn't mean to embarrass you like that."

"Why did you read my diary when we were kids? And why did you think it would be a good idea to say all of those things in front of Laxus… and in front of our father?"

"I told you, sometimes I don't think." Zachariah took a deep breath as he looked anywhere but at Freed. He hesitated with a pained look on his face. "This is why I became a treasure hunter," he finally said with a sigh. "It's the one job where I don't really have to think. I instinctually know what to do. I seem to always screw up when it comes to people."

Freed was surprised by how much Zachariah was confiding in him. The version of his brother he remembered was confident, laid back, and didn't care what anyone else thought of him. He was still angry with him but he was willing to listen.

The treasure hunter chewed on his lip nervously before continuing. "I guess when I came home knowing that you were going to be here I didn't want to deal with all the awkwardness so I tried to act like it wasn't weird. But all I did was make things worse. I'm just an oblivious idiot."

"Oblivious, yes. Idiot… that's debatable."

Zachariah grimaced as he shook his head. "I didn't notice the letter you left on your bed until three days after you left. That goes beyond me being oblivious or clueless. That makes an idiot and a horrible brother. I don't know how to fix all of this."

Freed's anger faded as he listened to Zachariah. Nothing would change what had happened but he appreciated the sincerity his brother showed. "The apology is a good start," he said begrudgingly. Knowing that his brother wasn't intending to be malicious made it a little easier to forgive.

"I actually admire the courage you had to leave," Zachariah said as he smiled cautiously. "It inspired me to leave and join a treasure hunter guild. I've never been happier than I am there."

It was a surprise to hear that he actually inspired Zachariah to follow his dream. It was also a bit touching. Freed was starting to think that maybe staying wouldn't be so bad. Having at least two of siblings admit that they were in the wrong and having his father making an effort with him was more than he had expected from them.

The two of them sat talking about their respective guilds until Laxus walked out the front door. As soon as his eyes found Zachariah his eyes narrowed into a glare. His gaze softened again when it moved to Freed. As he approached them Zachariah scrambled to his feet.

"Your mom says lunch is ready," Laxus told them.

Zachariah nodded jerkily in acknowledgement. "Thanks. I- I'll just go inside then."

Once he had scurried off Laxus sat down next to Freed. Freed looked away feeling shy now that Laxus knew how long he had had a crush on the older man. "What Zachariah said doesn't change anything between us," Laxus reassured him.

"You don't think I'm a creepy stalker?" Freed asked still refusing to look at his boyfriend.

Laxus slipped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close so that Freed was resting his head on the dragon slayer's chest. "I think you are a beautiful, smart, caring person. And you are neither creepy nor a stalker." They stayed like that for a moment before Laxus suddenly placed his hand on Freed's forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You feel a little warm."

"I feel fine," Freed replied. In reality he felt a bit tired and achy but didn't want to worry Laxus about his health on top of everything else. "We should go in for lunch."

"Right."

When they walked into the dining room there was an array of dishes on the table. It wasn't too extravagant but Freed was surprised by how much trouble they went through just for lunch. The meal was a pleasantly relaxed affair. Zachariah regaled them with tales of his adventures for most of it. Until Amelia jumped in tell them about a crazy customer at the shop she worked at. It felt familiar and yet foreign to Freed. Eating with his family was something he remembered well but when he got glances from Zachariah or Amelia to see if he was entertained or when his mother asked him if he wanted seconds, he felt like he was on another planet. He wasn't used to the attention but it was definitely something he wouldn't mind getting used to.

As they were cleaning up after lunch there was a knock on the front door that Cyrano went to answer. Curiosity getting the better of him Freed peeked out of the kitchen to see who was at the door. "Guinevere!" Cyrano exclaimed fondly as he hugged a young, austere looking woman. Her dark hair was tied up neatly and she wore square framed glasses that rested high on her nose.

Freed stepped back into the kitchen, frowning in thought. Guinevere was his younger sister and he remembered her being much in the same boat as him. She was quiet, never demanding much from anyone in the way of attention or recognition. The difference between them was that although Risa enjoyed tormenting her younger siblings (especially Freed) she happened to also be fiercely protective of her sisters. Unfortunately, Freed never got that reprieve.

They took a break from cleaning to greet Guinevere and then finished up before settling in the living room again. Freed didn't have any real conversation with her at that time. She wasn't cold towards him but greeted him with a handshake and spoke as if he were a stranger.

"Freed," she greeted stiffly as she held out her hand.

Freed took her hand but as soon as he gripped it she was pulling her hand away. "You look well, Guinevere."

"As do you." Her voice was quiet and formal. She quickly scurried over to Amelia after the required pleasantries to go catch up.

He wasn't offended by the treatment and didn't blame her for it. They practically were strangers.

* * *

By the time dinner time arrived Freed felt that all of his anxieties had faded. In his opinion they had gotten past the worst of it. He would keep the rest of the visit on a shallow level where he was comfortable and leave in the morning the day after the next for Magnolia. He would even be willing to keep in contact through letters if they asked. He also thought it would be nice to invite Amelia out to Magnolia for a visit.

When they sat down to eat again this time the meal was extravagant. Freed wondered if they had bought up the whole market to put so much food on the table. As the initial shock passed he felt someone's gaze on him and looked up to see his mother watching him with hopeful eyes. It was then that he realized that this was her way of trying to apologize. He felt mixed feelings about the roundabout way she was doing it, but he wasn't going to ignore the great effort she had put into such a meal.

As he went to serve himself he had to turn away as he broke into another coughing fit. "Are you okay?" Amelia asked as she handed him a glass of water.

"I'm fine," Freed insisted after taking a sip. "I must have breathed in some of the spices." As everyone went back to getting food he felt Laxus' concerned gaze on him. He offered his boyfriend a small smile in hopes of calming any worries he had. It seemed to work but Laxus kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Halfway through dinner there was another knock on the front door. This time Lyle went to answer it. Freed frowned as he stared at his food, wondering who could be at the door. Everyone was there. Lyle, Zachariah, Guinevere, Amelia… He dropped his fork onto his plate with a small clatter as he realized who was left. The excited chatter in the other room coming from Lyle and their surprise guest did nothing to calm his fears.

The door to the dining room slid open to reveal a tall woman with long dark hair that hung loosely around her shoulders. As her eyes landed on Freed she gave a sweet smile. "Welcome back, Freed," she said in an equally sweet voice.

Freed felt his stomach churn and turn into a lump of knots. He clasped his hands in his lap to keep them from shaking. "Risa," he greeted in a hoarse voice.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out. Limited writing time plus writer's block is not a good combination. Thank you for being so understanding. Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9

The door to the dining room slid open to reveal a tall woman with long dark hair that hung loosely around her shoulders. As her eyes landed on Freed she gave a sweet smile. "Welcome back, Freed," she said in an even sweeter voice.

Freed felt his stomach churn and turn into a lump of knots. He clasped his hands in his lap to keep them from shaking. "Risa," he greeted in a hoarse voice.

 _Freed had cooped himself up in his room while studying runes. It was his and Risa's birthday. Even though they were three years apart they were born on the same day. He was turning fifteen while she was turning eighteen. She had convinced their parents to allow her to have several of her friends over. Everyone else was downstairs with Risa who was making sure all of the focus stayed on her. Freed didn't care about his birthday. What he did care about was learning enough rune magic to be able to leave soon and join a wizard guild._

 _His bedroom door opened and he looked up expecting to see Zachariah. Instead Risa entered, with a sour look on her face. "Shouldn't you be downstairs gracing your guests with your presence?" he asked with a sigh._

 _Risa pushed the door shut letting it slam behind her. "My friends went home a while ago. I'm surprised you weren't down there trying to steal the attention away from me like always."_

 _Freed turned to look at her and was amazed that she was serious. "When have I ever tried to take attention from you?" After a pause he thought better of his question. "Never mind. I'd rather not hear what goes on in your head." He turned back to his studies, silently dismissing her._

" _You think you're better than me?" Risa hissed as she spun him back around in his chair to face her. "Because you think you don't 'need' attention. You know what, I see the real you. You manipulate everyone into thinking that you're this quiet, little bookworm when in reality you think you're better than everyone else, you think that you inherently deserve attention like some spoiled little prince. And when you don't get it, when it goes to someone whose worked for it, you come up here and pout."_

 _Freed looked up at her, feeling his eyebrows knit together in confusion. He could not remember any time he had ever done anything to feed this fantasy that she had built in her head. She was gripping his forearms and he could feel her fingernails starting to dig into him. "Risa," he said calmly. "You're hurting me."_

 _Instead of releasing him she pulled him up none too gently. "Just admit it," she demanded._

" _Why do you hate me?" he demanded in return. He was indignant. His whole life she had treated him horribly and he thought that by this point he deserved to know why. "I've never done anything to you."_

 _Freed stumbled unprepared for the blow that Risa struck to the side of his head. He looked up at her, eyes wide with shock and he saw that her eyes were blazing with anger. "You've done plenty to me," she said in a dangerously low voice. She looked disgusted with him as she scoffed. "Go ahead and pretend you don't know."_

 _Risa turned so quickly to leave that Freed flinched back, afraid she would hit him again. When the door slammed once more behind her he sank back into his chair. His hands were shaking and his head was throbbing. The whole world had suddenly changed for him. He had never thought that Risa was capable of going as far as hitting him. She had shoved him before, said mean things to him but she had never hit him._

 _He felt betrayed. It was a strange way to think of it but Risa had practically raised him. Everyone else older than him ignored him. She was the only one to, though begrudgingly, take care of him. The way this incident had shifted everything, it felt like his mother had struck him, not his sister._

"It's good to see you, little brother," she told him as she approached where he was sitting. Strangely enough, a man slightly older than her and two children followed behind her.

Freed reflexively stood and she pulled him into a warm hug. He felt trapped, with his chest constricting as if he were drowning. He wanted to push her away but instead he brought his hands up to return the hug.

As if sensing his boyfriend's distress Laxus asked loudly. "Who's this?" His words seemed to shatter the moment and Risa immediately released her hold on Freed.

"This is my eldest sister Risa," Freed replied.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Laxus but she said nothing about the presence of her past crush. "And this is my husband Philip and my children Emery and Willow," she introduced to both of them.

Dinner continued with Risa talking nonstop about her children and their successes in school. Freed could feel Laxus looking back and forth between him and his older sister, silent questions bombarding him like darts.

As soon as dinner was over Laxus announced, "We should get back to the inn. Dinner was great, Mrs. Justine." Freed was relieved that Laxus had saved him the effort of excusing them. He was too exhausted and didn't think he would be able to speak up with the pounding his head.

As everyone simultaneously started to clear the dinner dishes and say goodbye to them for the evening Freed heard Philip telling Risa that he was going to get their kids ready for bed. He swallowed hard realizing that meant they were going to stay there overnight. He would have to see Risa again the next day. The thought of having to even in be the same room with her a moment longer made him feel ill, he couldn't imagine having to spend a whole day with her family.

Freed reached over and squeezed Laxus' hand to get his attention. "I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom." Laxus nodded before being pulled into a conversation with Zachariah who it seemed was doing his best to attempt to get on the dragon slayer's good side.

Once in the bathroom Freed stood at the sink and splashed water on his face. He thought it would make him feel better, refreshed maybe, but it only increased his discomfort. When he looked in the mirror he realized why Laxus was concerned about him. He was flushed, with dark circles under his glassy looking eyes. Maybe what he needed was sleep. The sooner they got back to their room the better.

He exited the bathroom with the intention to find Laxus so they could leave, but he was stopped by Risa who was blocking his path. His chest tightened with dread. But he ignored the feeling and tried to slip past his sister. She moved to block him once more. "What is it?" he asked wearily.

"Why are you really here?" she asked suspiciously.

Freed felt thrown by her question unsure of the meaning behind it. "I'm here because Amelia asked me to come."

"Is it because you want to play up the role of the 'prodigal son returned'?" she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Or did you just want to rub it in my face that you won, you have Laxus Dreyar on your arm." She raised her eyebrows expectantly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

He could feel his limbs trembling and he couldn't tell if it was from the outrage coursing through him or if it was from the increased effort it was taking to hold himself up. "I don't give a damn what your feelings are about my relationship. That is not any of your concern. I didn't come here to play some role that you want to force upon me. I'm here because Amelia wrote to me. I didn't even want to be here in the first place."

Risa gave him a searching look that made him feel exposed and vulnerable. "You're enjoying this aren't you? All the attention is going to your head and now you think you can talk back to me. You've always been good at playing the victim. This is just like that time you ran away when you were eight and came back looking for a pat on the head. I'm going to make sure they _all_ see who you really are."

"And who am I really, Risa?" he asked slightly louder than he meant to.

She sneered at him as she replied. "You think you're so much better than the rest of us! You think everyone owes you something, that you're somehow inherently worthy of attention and affection!" Her voice quickly rose in volume and she was shouting at him. "You are a spoiled little brat!"

The nearly identical words made Freed feel like he knew what would happen next. His heart pounded against his ribcage, flailing about in a panic. It had been years since that incident but it somehow felt like no time had passed at all, like the moments were happening simultaneously.

Risa's hand flew back as if preparing to hit him. Freed knew he could defend himself. He had his sword, he had magic, he was physically stronger than her, and yet he couldn't move. His eyes involuntarily shut to brace himself.

The blow never came. Freed opened his eyes to find Laxus standing there, the older man's hand on Risa's raised arm. "What's going on here?" he asked as he dropped her arm and moved to stand beside Freed.

Risa had been caught off guard but she quickly regained her composure. "We… were talking."

"Looked like more than that to me. Freed, what happened?"

Freed opened his mouth to reply even though he didn't know what to say, but all that came out was a fit of coughing. It racked through his body worse than earlier. Laxus put a hand on his back for support. When his coughs subsided he felt dizzy and exhausted from the fit.

Laxus moved his hand from his back to fully wrap his arm around him. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"Yes," he answered weakly. "No. I mean…" It was getting harder to hold his head up and to keep his eyes open. A few seconds later he lost the battle.

* * *

Laxus caught Freed as he collapsed in his arms. His boyfriend's head fell and rested into the crook of his neck. Freed's forehead felt like someone had pressed a scorching pan, fresh off the stove against his skin. "Go call a doctor!" he ordered Risa as he scooped Freed up into his arms to carry him. She stood there with wide eyes, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. His patience was wearing thin. "Now dammit!" he roared.

As soon as she ran off he walked back to where the rest of the Justine family was. When they saw him holding Freed everyone went quiet. "He collapsed and he's burning up," he explained quickly. "Risa went to call a doctor."

Wilhelmina rushed forward to place a hand on Freed's forehead. She let out a breath, shaky with worry. "Amelia," she said turning to her youngest daughter. "Show him to one of the bedrooms where he can lay Freed down. I'll get some medicine for the fever and some ice."

Once they got Freed tucked into bed Laxus sat by his side thinking about all the warning signs he had seen throughout the day. Looking back, he could tell that Freed hadn't been well since he woke up that morning. He was kicking himself for not insisting that they went back to the inn earlier.

Maybe then they could have gotten out of there before Risa arrived. He had seen the way Freed reacted when she entered the room. Something wasn't right with her. And back before Freed collapsed it looked like she was going to hit him.

Laxus made a promised right then, to himself and to Freed, that he would ensure that Risa would not have another occasion to be alone with the younger man for the rest of the time they had to be there. It was his job to protect Freed and he had already failed once. He wasn't going to fail again.

"You're going to be okay, Freed," he said as he brushed away some green hair that was sticking to his sweat covered forehead. "Soon enough we'll back in Magnolia, far away from this place. I can't imagine what trouble Ever and Bickslow have gotten themselves into while we've been gone." Laxus forced a laugh at the thought but it came out sounding hollow. "It's not fair that you have to deal with all of this bullshit." His voice had taken on a more serious tone. "It's not fair that you've had to deal with my baggage and have your own at the same time. Sometimes I forget that you have a breaking point 'cause you never complain. Freed, sometimes you gotta complain, or else this is where you end up. You end up wearing yourself down until…" He trailed off when he heard the door open.

Amelia stepped in and awkwardly cleared her throat. "The doctor should be here soon. I came to check on him. Has he woken up?"

"No," Laxus replied shortly. His head jerked up when he felt her hand rest on his shoulder.

"He's going to be just fine," she reassured him.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey, everyone! I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. To be honest I haven't been very motivated to write this. I had been writing this in pieces whenever I could and then I finally sat down and finished the chapter. This is the end of this section of the story. It might be a while before I update again because I'm still in the planning stages of the next section. I appreciate all of my readers and reviewers and I thank you for your patience. As always I appreciate any and all feedback.

* * *

Chapter 10

The doctor that they had called stepped out of the bedroom after examining Freed. He looked at Wilhelmina, Laxus, and Amelia in turn. "He's going to be okay," the doctor said with a calm smile. "The medicine I gave him will make him sleep for a while which is good because he needs the rest. Now, I was told that he was only visiting town for a few days." He met Laxus' eyes and firmly told him. "Freed should not travel for at least three days, maybe longer if he hasn't recovered enough, or he could relapse."

Laxus huffed in frustration but nodded. "Yeah. No travelling. Got it."

Wilhelmina thanked the doctor as he handed off the medicine to her and took his leave. She turned to Laxus and Amelia. "I'll go tell Cyrano what the doctor said."

They both watched her as she retreated downstairs and once she was out of sight Laxus turned to Amelia. "Tell me, what's the deal between Freed and Risa?"

Amelia looked uncomfortable at the inquiry. She nervously pushed her hair behind her ear as she avoided Laxus' gaze. "I'm really not the right person for you to be asking. It's none of my business."

He stepped closer to her and tipped her head up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Neither Freed nor Risa are going to tell me anything. When I confronted them she looked like she going to hit him. I don't appreciate anybody threatening my boyfriend. So you are going to tell me what you know."

Amelia pulled her head away from Laxus' grasp as she glared up at him. "I don't know a lot. I was only seven when Freed left home. Risa was never the nicest person but she took care of her younger siblings. Mostly because she had to. My parents weren't really there for us. Dad was always working and mom was overwhelmed with keeping up with housework, meals, and attempting to raise us. Most of the slack fell onto Risa since Lyle was busy being dad's protégé. I don't know why but Risa hated Freed. She took care of him like she did the rest of us because she had to but she made it known that she would rather just let him fend for himself. Freed pretended like it never bothered him but I think it affected him deeper than he let on."

Laxus frowned as she spoke. It hurt to hear that someone could hate Freed, especially his own sister. It made him want to go find Risa and make her feel whatever pain she put Freed through. "Did she ever hurt him?"

Amelia immediately shook her head. "She never would have gone that far." He didn't know if he trusted her judgement of someone so close to her but he decided to let it go for now.

* * *

Freed felt like his whole body was weighted down. It took immense effort just to open his eyes, but once he did he was rewarded with the sight of Laxus lightly dozing in the chair beside his bed. He lay there content in watching the older man slumped in the chair, head tilted to the side resting against his shoulder, and yellow hair ruffled in an endearingly messy manner. "My Laxus," he muttered to himself.

Even the slight sound of Freed's voice managed to rouse Laxus from his light doze and he became more alert when he saw that Freed's eyes were open. "You're awake," Laxus stated.

"I just woke up a minute ago."

"How're you feeling?"

"I feel confused. What happened? How long did I sleep?"

Laxus pulled the chair forward so he was closer to the bed and laced his fingers with Freed's. "You were sick and passed out from the fever. The doctor gave you some medicine to make you sleep. You were out for about a day and a half."

Freed looked puzzled as he took in the information. "I must have been very ill."

"You gave us all a good scare." There was strange tone to Laxus voice that concerned Freed. He watched the dragon slayer closely and noticed that his eyes kept scanning over him vigilantly. Laxus' hand was also gripping his tighter than necessary. Freed realized that Laxus was genuinely worried about him.

He placed his other hand over Laxus' hand that was gripping his. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Laxus swallowed hard as he pulled his hand away. "I should go get you something to eat. I think your mom made some soup or something." He stood a bit too quickly, jarring the chair.

"Laxus?" The older man leaned down and pressed a light kiss against his forehead before fleeing the room.

Freed slumped against his pillows wondering what had just happened between them. Everything had seemed normal and then suddenly it wasn't. He closed his eyes and let out a groan of frustration. He felt like how he had when Mirajane had kicked his ass during the Battle of Fairy Tail and didn't think he could manage trying to figure out why Laxus was acting strange.

When he opened his eyes Freed didn't expect to see someone standing at the foot of his bed watching him. He was particularly shocked to see that it was Risa. His body tensed and his eyes narrowed. Memories of the conversation they had been having before he fainted returned and this time he wasn't going to let himself freeze up.

Before his sister even spoke, Freed thought of several runes that would keep her from getting too close. When he went to cast them, to his horror, he found that he didn't have the energy. His vision went fuzzy for a moment and suddenly Risa was looking down at him, now standing right next to the side of the bed.

"You just can't stop, can you?" she asked with a shake of her head. "You can pretend that you're sick all you want but I know what is really going on. You have to make sure that Laxus feels sorry for you so you can keep him wrapped around your finger. How did you even get him in the first place? Did you use magic to seduce him? Is he under some spell right now?"

"How dare you!" Freed croaked as he struggled to sit up properly. "I have done nothing to Laxus!"

"Right. Because you don't need magic to manipulate people, do you? You naturally know how keep all the attention on you. Seems like you were born with that ability."

Freed wished that Laxus would hurry up. How long did it take to get some soup? "Just leave me alone, Risa."

Risa leaned in close to him and gently brushed some hair away from his face. "You know, mom and dad completely forgot that you had even existed until they heard your name in the list of those lost on Tenrou Island. Then all of a sudden, they were trying to join a search party to go look for you. Several years after they held a funeral for you. Even after all those years you still had a pull over them, even from afar. And now here we are, with them trying so hard to make amends and find their way into your good graces. I don't understand why they care so much about you, little brother. Did you plan this? Right when everyone was starting to forget you again you returned from the dead. Could you feel yourself slipping our minds and chose that moment to come back?"

Freed tried to move away from her but the heaviness in his body made it difficult. She sounded like a lunatic talking about him conspiring to hold onto the minds of his family. If she wanted them so badly he would gladly leave and never return. He opened his mouth to tell her as much when she placed her hand over his lips. "I wish you had just stayed dead!" she exclaimed a little hysterically. He was afraid of what she intended to do in his moment of weakness but the tears in her eyes caused confusion to win out for half a second.

The door flew open to bang loudly against the wall. Laxus stood there, steaming bowl of soup in hand. Risa leapt away from Freed. "You need to understand," she told him frantically. "He's manipulating you! That's what he does."

"Do you really believe that?" Laxus growled as he closed in on her, setting down the soup on the nightstand along the way. "Because the Freed I know is as sincere and genuine as a person can get. You are bitter and delusional. And I think it's time for you and your family to leave."

"And if I don't? You wouldn't hurt a woman, would you?" she asked breathing quickly, like a cornered rabbit.

"As tempted as I am, I don't think your parents would be as welcoming to us if I did. But I will tell them everything you just said to Freed if you don't leave."

Risa seemed to calm at the threat. "You really think they would believe you over their own daughter?"

Laxus stepped closer. "Are you willing to chance it?"

She took a deep breath as she pondered his words. "Fine. I'll leave." Laxus stepped back and as she made her way to the door, Risa threw Freed one last glare.

When the door slammed closed, Laxus sat down next to Freed, soup in hand once more. He went to start spooning it into Freed's mouth but the younger man raised his hand to stop him. "What are you doing?"

"You need to eat," Laxus stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "To get your strength back."

"No. You can't just act like what just happened… didn't happen."

"What do you want me to say?" Laxus asked with an exasperated sigh.

Freed searched for what he wanted to say but in his exhaustion words failed him. A spoonful of soup suddenly pushed past his lips and he choked slightly as the warm liquid slid down his throat. "Don't you have questions about me and Risa?"

"I asked Amelia. She told me what she knew. I didn't think you would want me asking you after everything Risa just put you through."

After another spoonful of soup, Freed gave up and allowed Laxus to feed him. The older man was right, he wasn't up for giving him a whole run down of his childhood woes. At this point he was more eager than ever to put it all behind him. "When can we leave?" he asked when Laxus stopped to wipe a bit of soup that had spilled from the spoon onto Freed's night shirt.

"Not for another two days. Maybe longer if you're not well enough."

Once more he was trapped in his childhood home. At least this time he had Laxus by his side and no Risa to worry about anymore. There was a small amount of hope stirring, telling him that maybe the next two days wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Two days later…

Freed had never expected to miss his family. Yet on the train ride back to Magnolia there was an ache he felt that he had only ever felt when Laxus went on jobs without him. At first he thought that maybe he just missed Amelia but the reasoning didn't sit right with him. It took nearly an hour of him staring blankly out the window to figure it out.

"Oh," he breathed out when the realization hit him.

"What's wrong?" Laxus asked as he started to fully wake up.

Freed startled a bit having expected his boyfriend to sleep for the duration of the train ride. "How are you feeling?"

Laxus' face had started to turn a bit green but he replied, "I'm fine. But you didn't answer my question."

"It's nothing." Even though Laxus' eyes were a bit glassy from the motion sickness Freed could feel the full intensity of the piercing glare causing him to squirm. "I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I…" Freed trailed off. It was difficult to say the words. If he said it out loud then he couldn't pretend that his realization was just a passing feeling that he could later forget. It would be there in the open, floating in the air between them. He of all people should know the power of words.

"I realized that I miss my family." When he saw Laxus open his mouth to reply Freed hurried to clarify. "Not my actual family. I miss what could have been. Now that I've seen that most of them can actually be a good, caring family, I feel… I feel angry and hurt that they were not _that_ when it mattered. I miss the idea of what kind of family they could have been to me when I was that sad, lonely child."

Laxus nodded in understanding but paused half way through the movement to put a hand to his mouth. When the wave of nausea passed he said, "I know what that's like. Sometimes I wonder how different things could have been if my dad had… If he'd been a better father."

The couple didn't talk much the rest of the ride. Laxus slept on and off while Freed switched between reading and watching thoughtfully as the scenery rushed by outside the window. Although they couldn't compare the levels of pain they had had to endure through childhood they both knew what it was like to miss something they never had.

* * *

Once they were back in Magnolia, Freed and Laxus headed back to Laxus' apartment. It was late and Freed was still weak. Laxus had insisted that the younger man stay with him at least for the night.

The frigid night air chilled Freed deep in his bones causing him to shiver. Laxus immediately wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close into his side as they walked. Being pulled so close to another person made walking awkward for Freed but he didn't pull away. The warm buzz of electricity around Laxus made an effective shield against the cold.

"The lovebirds are back!"

"Lovebirds! Lovebirds!"

Freed had been so distracted by the comfort of his boyfriend that he hadn't noticed that they had made it to the front of Laxus' building. Bickslow and his dolls had leapt up from the stoop where Evergreen still lounged.

"Took you two long enough to come home," Evergreen complained.

"You guys behave while we were gone?" Laxus asked as his arm slowly slipped from around Freed.

"Yeah," Bickslow replied a bit defensively.

"Of course, we did," Evergreen said as she got to her feet.

"It actually got kind of boring here… you know, without you guys,"

"Dammit," Evergreen muttered as she tried to wipe away tears from her eyes.

"We missed you!" They both burst out in unison as they launched themselves at Freed and Laxus. All of them landed in a tangled heap on the ground.

Bickslow somehow wormed his way to the center of the group hug and cried, "Never leave us again!"

Laxus let out an exasperated sigh as he patted the top of Bickslow's helmet. "We won't. You can calm down now."

At first Freed had been a bit irritated that Ever and Bickslow had been waiting for them as soon as they got home, when he just wanted to get some sleep. Now he felt right at home in the arms of his family. Relief flooded through him that he could let his guard down with those who he had never doubted if they cared for him. Evergreen and Bickslow reminded him that he didn't have to miss the family he had not had as a child because right in that moment he had the only family he needed.


End file.
